Trial of Socrates

Response: After reading everyone's speeches displayed throughout the Symposium, I felt as if their styles were very unique to themselves and they openly displayed their opinions without hesitation. Although they are all discussing the unanimous topic of Eros, they discuss the matter with such different tones that display Eros in multiple personas. I found this striking because every single speaker viewed Eros in their own way, often shifting the mood of the dinner back and forth. Starting off…

right, and you must not participate in what you think is wrong. This he does by abstaining from paying taxes that may contribute to wrongdoing. This is in large agreement with Socrates’ views as told from the “Apology,” that you must not submit to orders that are unjust, even if doing so means death. Because of this Socrates usually does not participate in public affairs, as he says, “A man who really fights for justice must lead a private… life if he is to survive…

I enjoyed writing about people like Archimedes, Socrates, and Plato. I learned that some of the smartest people came from ancient Greece yet they aren’t recognized nearly as much as Albert Einstein. I think it’s amazing how scientist can learn so much from ancient Greece. I noticed how many of the…

“The Allegory of a Cave” is a dialogue between Socrates and Plato’s brother Glaucon, which the latter narrates, where Plato crafts a theory regarding the human perception. Plato strongly believed the fact that knowledge that is gained through the senses can be termed as an opinion only. He understood the school of thought that it was only possible to get real knowledge through the assistance of philosophical reasoning. This theory on human perception closely embodies the experience that…

and virtue in Gorgias, comparable to topics in Douglass’ speech. Douglass and Plato deliver to different audiences, yet they still cover similar themes in the text. One particular subject in both is the dependence of good upon virtue. In Gorgias, Socrates claims that virtue stems from a “harmonious soul” and that order is the key to goodness. He states, “And virtue, whether of body or soul, of things or persons, is not attained by accident, but is…

Phaedo, a dialogue written by Plato, is about Socrates last day as he is surrounded by friends and pondering suicide and whether it is right or wrong. The dialogue is between Echecrates and Phaedo, where Echecrates is questioning Phaedo about how Socrates final hours went down, inquiring about what his final thought where, as he pays very close attention to details being told by Phaedo. “Then he, or any man who has the spirit of philosophy, will be willing to die, though he will not take his own…

The main thesis of Plato’s Theory of Forms, or Theory of Ideas is that objects can be seen but not thought over, ideas, on the contrary, can be thought over but not seen (Plato 314). To explain this theory, the philosopher used a short story known as the Analogy of the Cave. For Plato, cave is a sensual world where people live as prisoners, believing that they get to know true reality through the senses. However, such a life is merely an illusion whereas only vague shadows reach them from the…

The fundamental separation between the religion of the people and the secular did not obtain in Socrates time. Priest were appointed and recognized by the whole city and their job was to interpret the desires of the gods. The basics being that human beings were to fear the gods, sacrifice to them, and honor them with festivals and prayers. The sacred were woven into the everyday life of the Athenians, and they demonstrated their piety by following rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices. Consequently…

the people in an ignorant world who are limited by what they perceive as the “real” world. In the allegory, there is another hidden meaning behind what Socrates says when he mentions that there are two kinds of eyes that come from two kinds of causes, “either from coming out of the light or from going into the light” (Plato). This saying by Socrates is a hidden reference to knowledge and learning. Going into the light means that one has gained knowledge and broken free from the chains of…

schools of rhetoric in Athens. Sophists often felt that winning a debate was more important than discovering the truth; the truth of a situation depended on one’s perspective, and that any argument could be effective if presented well. Plato’s mentor, Socrates, who was executed because he was one of the strongest critics towards the Peloponnesian War, is portrayed in…