Informal logic

What are the charges against Socrates as recorded in the Apology. Is he guilty of them? why or why not? In Plato’s Apology, there were several charges against Socrates during his trial. The three main charges against him is his religious beliefs, corrupting the young and also his views of the Athenians. Even though there were several prosecutors and evidence to prove Socrates guilty, he guarded his ground and remained true to his philosophies. He proved many of his beliefs with evidence that…

In the reading “Help Those Who Help, Not Hurt, Themselves,” Christian Brahmstedt presents an argument why the homeless should not be supported by the public or government. However, in supporting this argument, Brahmstedt makes several invalid and unsound points in the form of fallacies. In Brahmstedt’s “Help Those Who Help, Not Hurt, Themselves” he uses material fallacies, which are flaws given or material used, in order to support the idea that the homeless should not be supported by public or…

When first reading the experiment in regards to rescue I and rescues II, I did not like or want to make a choice, and really, I do not have to make a choice. My job is to tell you what Stuart Mill would do and what Immanuel Kant would do based on their philosophical views of utilitarianism and categorical imperatives respectfully. In Rescue I & II Mill. Utilitarianism is the basic principle to look at what is right and wrong. Depending on the consequences or the outcomes you can select the…

“Serious, as in the magic formula that defines realism. . . . [as] what is ‘in opposition to amusement or pleasure-seeking.’” (Moretti, 368). In Moretti’s paper “ Serious Century”, he explains that “seriousness” became the narrative style that reflected the culture of the 19th century. We comprehend this “seriousness ( Moretti, page 383)” through “fillers (Moretti, 370)” and through the moral values of the characters. “Upon hearing how long a walk the young people had engaged in, they kindly…

In Plato’s dialogue Gorgias, Socrates argues against Polus an ancient Greek orator, that tyrants and orators do not, in fact do what they want, instead they do what they see fit. As a result of this claim, Socrates believes tyrants and orators have the least power in their cities. This paper will primarily argue Socrates’s views through the definition of power, who holds the “real” power, that some things are inherently bad, and that there are different views of morality. The argument that…

The purpose of the Theaetetus is to examine how the mind accounts for knowledge by seeking an answer to the question Socrates poses to Theaetetus, what is knowledge? (146A). After a few failed attempts at answering, Theaetetus posits that knowledge is true opinion (187B). Socrates responds that in order for one to know what true opinion is, he must also account for false opinion in the mind. Ultimately, while the dialogue produces no operative definition for knowledge, Plato employs this…

In Plato’s five dialogues we often hear about this interesting figure of a man named Socrates. Who is he? Socrates in the first dialogue, Euthyphro is being charged with the crime of essentially questioning everyone and everything and thinking that people who say they are wise are not actually so. As well as being a maker of Gods while not believing in the old Gods. Socrates says that Meletus (the prosecutor) thinks “he is corrupting the youth” and that he wants to get rid of the old people…

In the article “You’ll Never Learn,” Annie Murphy Paul, a journalist and frequent contributor of articles on education and science, informs readers about the way students in today’s educational landscape use media to multitask while learning. Paul argues that this practice hinders the quality and quantity of information that students retain. The author explains the myriad of negative outcomes due to multitasking, particularly with media, while learning. Paul supports her argument with numerous…

Plato, a greek philosopher, is best known for calling himself a lover of wisdom. He took great pride in being an elite philosopher as oppose to a philodoxer, which is a lover of belief (Republic, Book V 480a). When reading Plato, his vast wisdom regarding many essential worldview questions is unpacked and explained on a deep level. Throughout Plato’s writings, the reader can see evidence that his worldview was based on the ability to be a good man, a positive belief of death, the importance of…

One either believes that there is a God that exists, or there is not. While there are numerous opinions on God’s existence, Blaise Pascal, author of “The Wager”, believes that there is a God. However, according to Pascal, a French philosopher, we cannot fully comprehend God. “The Wager”, which includes a psychological argument, consists of individuals who are willing to risk their own lives and bet on the existence of God. Essentially, the argument of this work is between philosophy and…