The Apology and the Republic Essay - 939 Words

Socrates was a renowned philosopher in the ancient Grecian times. His peak was around the Peloponnesian War, when the Spartans defeated the Athenians and ended the Golden Age. The reason Socrates is one of histories most famous philosophers is largely due to Platos writings. Two of Platos famous works include The Apology and The Republic, both written about Socrates views about the so called wise philosophers of his time. The two works hold unique views about government, as well as opening the eyes of the Grecian people to the world as they knew it. In the Apology, Socrates was told by the Delphic Oracle that there was nobody wiser than him. With ancient Greece having been a prominent home of philosophy and art since†¦show more content†¦They wished for him to formally apologize or the result would be death. The court protested that if he stopped teaching his theory, then the charges against him would be dropped and he would not have the ultimate punishment, being death. Socrates believed that his argument could be sensibly defended without death being the penalty, which is why his apology ceases to apologize for insulting the wise men. He tells the court if I was bound to be acquitted....you are bound to put me to death, because if I were to escape, all your children would forthwith be utterly corrupted by practicing what Socrates teaches...(78). Inevitably he dies for protesting the courts wishes to stop teaching his beliefs. In The Republic, Plato was highly influenced by Socrates beliefs that a democracy in the Athenian society was useless. At this time Socrates had already been executed for teaching his philosophy, however Plato believed that reason alone would guide the Greeks out of their political turmoil. His theory was, philosophers should be kings to better the welfare of the government and people. Plato quotes genuine philosophers are those whose passion it is to see the truth.(82) One bias example that Plato opposed, was using the human body at the artists disposal. What makes the artists vision of a human body perfection? Who is wise enoughShow MoreRelatedPlatos The Republic and The Apology1714 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s The Republic and The Apology, the topic of justice is examined from multiple angles in an attempt to discover what justice is, as well as why living a just life is desirable. Plato, writing through Socrates, identifies in The Republic what he thought justice was through the creation of an ideal city and an ideal soul. Both the ideal city and the ideal soul have three components which, when all are acting harmoniously, create what Socrates considers to be justice. Before he outlines thisRead MoreSocrates’ Philosophy-The Republic And The Apology. Plato1522 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates’ Philosophy-The Republic and The Apology Plato was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived between 428-432 B.C. He wrote mainly in dialogues, to stay true to how Socrates communicated philosophy. Plato displayed what is considered Socrates’ philosophy throughout the dialogue The Apology. In The Republic, Socrates is mainly used as a mouthpiece to communicate Plato’s philosophy. Socrates follows a philosophy best explained as â€Å"I do not know†, whereas Plato tries to find the ultimate solutionRead MoreSocrates, Plato, Euthyphro, Apology and the Republic977 Words   |  4 Pages In Apology, Socrates is confronted with questioning of why he thinks people slander him the way they do. To answer, Socrates brings up the term of â€Å"human wisdom.† This is a type of wisdom that is not godly, and Socrates expresses that he is not wise at all. Human wisdom composes the notion that having great wisdom is having the ability to not think he knows what he does not know. In order to support his claim, Socr ates brings up the Oracle story. Here, Chaerephon asked the Oracle if anyone was wiserRead MoreAnalysis Of Plato s The Ring Of Gyges 1510 Words   |  7 PagesBrenden Seidel December 15, 2014 GVPT 241- Professor Alford TA Joan Timoneda What if you had a magic ring like the ring of Gyges (Republic, 359d)? Why be just or moral? Develop the complete answer of Socrates in Plato s Republic, through 449a. Then consider whether Plato s Socrates in The Apology would answer in a way that was any different, in substance or in tone. Your own opinion is worth a page of so, but focus on the argument of Plato s Socrates. When Glaucon attempts to argue thatRead MoreThe Apology Is Plato s Retelling Of Socrates s Trail1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe Apology is Plato’s retelling of Socrates’s trail. Within his account, he portrays Socrates as a confident, but almost haughty, and reasonable man. The main philosophical themes that Plato presents through Socrates are wisdom, justice, and his purpose in the community. Socrates is at this trial because he has been accused of two things: 1) â€Å"Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, andRead MoreAnalysis Of Socratess Four Accusations About Socrates 1679 Words   |  7 Pagescorrupts the young (Plato, Apology, 18c-19b, pg 47). While he is guilty of the first, second, fifth and sixth accusations, he is innocent of the third and the fourth. That Socrates is guilty by his own standards of being a busybody, or meddler, is proven by his way of discussing subjects by constantly asking questions, which can be quite meddlesome. â€Å"Doing one’s own work and not meddling with what is not one’s own† is Socrates’ own definition of justice (Plato, Republic, 433a, pg 139). His accusersRead MoreSocrates as Philosopher King Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pages   The legendary Athenian, Socrates, was one such figure.   Socrates ushered in an era of philosophical inquiry that still lingers to this day.   In Book Seven of Platos The Republic, Socrates outlines his perfect regime.   According to Socrates, an enlightened Philosopher-King must rule such a regime.   Now suppose this Republic actually came into being, and Socrates was asked to rule it as a Philosopher King.   Would he?   Answering this begs three important questions:   Is Socrates a true philosopherRead MorePlato Is One Of The Gre atest And Well Known Philosophers1388 Words   |  6 Pagesor wisdom, one must â€Å"escape from the body† and not fear the thought of death (Apology 66d-67a). The following paragraphs will argue that wisdom was very important to Plato and his worldview. Wisdom is the key component of Plato’s world because it helps one see beauty, to seek the soul over the body, to seek justice, and to not fear death. One of the first of many evidences of Plato’s knack for wisdom is found in Apology, where Plato describes Socrates defending himself in a matter of life or deathRead MoreSimilarities Between Socrates And Confucius818 Words   |  4 Pagesbe better off, but unlike modern opinion living the good life doesn’t merely mean maximizing one’s happiness. Socrates writes that â€Å"One who means to practise his art properly never does what is best for himself†¦ but what is best for his subject† (Republic, 163). This is a significant break from modern opinion that living the good life is about more than oneself. These philosophies place a far greater emphasis on the fact that when one follows the instructions to live the good life it will benefitRead More Platos Criticism of Democracy Essay1697 Words   |  7 Pagesillegal happenings in the city. A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a shor t time. (Apology 31e-32a) These are the words of Socrates, who spoke before the Athenian jury in the trial that would, ultimately, condemn him to his death. Through works such as the Apology and The Republic, we can see Plato’s distaste of the concept of democracy. Why does he consider democracy to be so flawed? Let us look through his own eyes and see what