In ancient Greece, philosophy was basically the love for wisdom. Socrates who is the most known ancient philosopher, did not admit to have wisdom or knowledge. His philosophy was always a quest; never a body of knowledge or doctrine (Ansley, ).The aim of this essay is to discuss the roles of philosophy according to Socrates in the apology. This essay will include a brief background of the In this essay I will discuss the character of Socrates as he is presented in the Apology, I will look at Socrates as a religious fanatic and an apostle of reason. I will provide an argument from my own personal stance that the character of Socrates in the Apology is a variation of both religious fanatic and apostle of reason All things considered, the paper explicitly provides an in-depth consideration of Socrates’ ‘apology’ for philosophy. From the article, one gets to understand charges that were brought forward before the jury against Socrates
Socrates Apology Essay
In philosophy, an "apology" from the Greek apologia refers to a statement or defense in which a person defends something that they strongly believe in.
For example, the defense of a way of life, decision, or belief. Meletus is his prosecutor, but he is addressing a jury of hundreds of his fellow citizens. In this famous work, Socrates defends his practice of questioning everything and describes the beauty socrates apology essay a philosophical life.
He also antagonizes his fellow Athenians…. Socrates himself wrote nothing — his philosophical career was spent verbally debating his fellow Athenians, socrates apology essay. This translation of Socrates' Apology is from Benjamin Jowett.
You can read the text as a PDF here. I will begin at the beginning and ask what is the accusation which has given rise to the slander of me, and in fact, has encouraged Meletus to proof this charge against me. Well, what do the slanderers say? They shall be my prosecutors, and I will sum up their words socrates apology essay an affidavit; Socrates is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause ; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others.
Such socrates apology essay the nature of the accusation: it is just what you socrates apology essay yourselves seen in the comedy of Aristophaneswho has introduced a man whom he calls Socrates, going about and saying that he socrates apology essay in air, socrates apology essay, and talking a deal of nonsense concerning matters of which I do not pretend to know either much or little--not that I mean to speak disparagingly of any one who is a student of natural philosophy.
I should be very sorry if Meletus could bring so grave a charge against me. But the simple truth is, O Athenians, that I have nothing to do with physical speculations. Very many of those here present are witnesses to the truth of this, and to them, I appeal. Speak then, you who have heard me, and tell your neighbors whether any of you have ever known me hold socrates apology essay in few words or in many upon such matters You hear their answer.
And from what they say of this part of the charge you will be able to judge of the truth of the rest. As little foundation is there for the report that I am a teacher, and take money; this accusation has no more truth in it than the other. Although, if a man were really able to instruct mankind, to receive money for giving instruction would, in my opinion, be an honor to him….
Scholars debate the specific charges against Socrates in this passage usually finding How would you summarize them? Socrates here is referring to Sophists. The were intellectual professionals and teachers of rhetoric. A wealthy family could hire a sophist to educate their son in matters of excellent argument, guaranteeing them a successful and wealthy future. You can read socrates apology essay about the sophists here.
In the next passage, Socrates apology essay begins to answer the charges in the process telling us a bit about how view of the connection between knowledge and goodness.
I dare say, Athenians, that someone among you will reply, Yes, Socrates, but what is the origin of these accusations which are brought against you; there must have been something strange which you have been doing?
All these rumors and this talk about you would never have arisen if you had been like other men: tell us, then, what is the cause of them, socrates apology essay, for we should be sorry to judge hastily of you.
Now I regard this as a fair challenge, and I will endeavor to explain to you the reason why I am called wise and have such an evil fame. Please to attend then. And although some of you may think that I am joking, socrates apology essay, I declare that I will tell you the entire truth.
Men of Athens, this reputation of mine has come of a certain sort of wisdom which I possess. If you ask me what kind of wisdom, I reply, wisdom such as may perhaps be attained by man, for to that extent I am inclined to believe that I am wise; whereas the persons of whom I socrates apology essay speaking have a superhuman wisdom which I may fail to describe, because I have it not myself; and he who says that I have, speaks falsely, socrates apology essay, and is taking away my character.
And here, O men of Athens, I must beg you not to interrupt me, even if I seem socrates apology essay say something extravagant. For the word which I will speak is not mine. I will refer you to a witness who is worthy of credit; that witness shall be the God of Delphi --he will socrates apology essay you about my wisdom, if I have any, and of what sort it is.
You must have known Chaerephon he was early a friend of mine, and also a friend of yours, for he shared in the recent exile of the people, and returned with you. Well, Chaerephon, as you know, was very impetuous in all his doings, and he went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether--as I was saying, I must socrates apology essay you not to interrupt--he asked the oracle to tell him whether anyone was wiser than I was, and the Pythian prophetess answered, that there socrates apology essay no man wiser, socrates apology essay.
Chaerephon is dead himself; but his brother, who is in court, will confirm the truth of what I am saying. Why do I mention this?
Because I am going to explain to you why I have such an evil socrates apology essay. When I heard the answer, I said to myself, socrates apology essay, What can the god mean? and what is the interpretation of his riddle? for I know that I have no wisdom, small or great. What then can he mean when he says that I am the wisest of men? And yet he is a god, and cannot lie; that would be against his nature.
After long consideration, I thought of a method of trying the question. I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand. I should say to him, 'Here is a man who is wiser than I am; but you said that I was the wisest. So I left him, saying to myself, as I went away: Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, socrates apology essay, I am better off than socrates apology essay is,--for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows; I neither know nor think that I know.
In this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him. Then I went socrates apology essay another who had still higher pretensions to wisdom, and my conclusion was exactly the same. Whereupon I made another enemy of him, and of many others besides him. Bringing up the God of Delphi has two purposes:. If the god's really desired Socrates' work, then it should be justified to the jury. A man who does not believe in the gods would not call them to his defense.
The God of Delphi is notorious for giving unclear oracles. Examples of this include Odysseus in the Odyssey and Oedipus. Rather than directly lecturing or teaching in the same way that the Sophists did, Socrates made famous his own method of learning -- later called the Socratic Method. By asking a series of clarifying questions, the Socratic Method leads the learner to find a clear and concise expression of knowledge by way of their own reason.
It is usually aimed at establishing the best definition of a concept. Initial Answer: A sandwich is some bread with some filling meat, jelly, cheese in the middle. Then the definition is tested. Does a sandwich have to be made with bread? Such as in the case of sandwich cookies? Amended Answer: You are right!
I socrates apology essay a sandwich has either bread or socrates apology essay and some filling in the middle. Amended answer: No; a sandwich needs two pieces of bread. I guess a sandwich has two pieces of either bread or cookies and some filling in the middle, socrates apology essay.
Amended answer: Well, yes. The difference between a jelly donut and a burrito is that a burrito is built socrates apology essay first bread, then filling. It can be opened, socrates apology essay. But a jelly donut has the filling squeezed in A few notes: The process continues until either the perfect definition is reached or the person questioned realizes they do not, in fact, socrates apology essay, know what a sandwich is, socrates apology essay.
It can be repeated for more serious concepts like What is a person? What is justice? Then I went to one man after another, being not unconscious of the enmity which I provoked, and I lamented and feared this: but necessity was laid upon me,--the word of God, I thought, ought to be considered first.
And I said to myself, Go I must to all who appear to know and find out the meaning of the oracle, socrates apology essay. And I swear to you, Athenians, by the dog I swear! I will tell you the tale of my wanderings and of the 'Herculean' labors, as I may call them, which I endured only to find at last the oracle irrefutable.
After the politicians, I went to the poets; tragic, socrates apology essay, dithyrambicand all sorts. And there, I said to myself, you will be instantly detected; now you will find out that you are more ignorant than they are.
Accordingly, I took them some of the most elaborate passages in their own writings, and asked what was the meaning of them--thinking that they would teach me something. Will you believe me? I am almost ashamed to confess the truth, but I must say that there is hardly a person present who would not have talked better about their poetry than they did themselves.
Then I socrates apology essay that not by wisdom do poets write poetry, but by a sort of genius and inspiration; they are like diviners or soothsayers who also say many fine things, but do not understand the meaning of them, socrates apology essay.
The poets appeared to me to be much in the same case; and I further observed that upon the strength of their poetry they believed themselves to be the wisest of men in other things in which they were not wise, socrates apology essay. So I departed, socrates apology essay, conceiving myself to be superior to them for the same reason that I was superior to the politicians.
At last, socrates apology essay, I went to the artisans. I was conscious that I knew nothing at all, socrates apology essay, as I may say, and I was sure that they knew many fine things; and here I was not mistaken, for they did know many things of which I was ignorant, and in this, they certainly were wiser than I was.
But I observed that even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets;--because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their socrates apology essay and therefore I asked myself on behalf of the oracle, whether I would like to be as I was, neither having their knowledge nor their ignorance, or like them in both; and I made answer to myself and to the oracle that I was better off as I was.
This inquisition has led to my having many enemies of the worst and most dangerous kind and has given occasion also to many calumnies, socrates apology essay. And I am called wise, for my hearers always imagine that I myself possess the wisdom which I find wanting in others: but the truth is, O men of Athens, that God only is wise; and by his answer he intends to show that the wisdom of men is worth little or nothing; he is not speaking of Socrates, he is only using my name by way of illustration, as if he said, He, O men, is the wisest, who, like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing.
And so I go about the world, obedient to the god, and search socrates apology essay make enquiry into the wisdom of any one, socrates apology essay, whether citizen or stranger, who appears to be wise; and if he is not wise, then in vindication of the oracle I show him that he is not wise; and my occupation quite absorbs me, and I have no time to give either to any public matter of interest or to any concern of socrates apology essay own, but I am in utter poverty by reason of my devotion to the god.
There is another thingyoung men of the richer classes, who have not much to do, come about me of their own accord; they like to hear the pretenders examined, and they often imitate me and proceed to examine others; there are plenty of persons, as they quickly discover, who think that they know something, but really know little or nothing; and then those who are examined by them instead of being angry with themselves are angry with me: This confounded Socrates, they say; this villainous misleader of youth!
they do not know, and cannot tell; but in order that they may not appear to be at a loss, socrates apology essay, they repeat the ready-made charges which are used against all philosophers about teaching things up in the clouds and under the earth, and having no gods, and making the worse appear the better cause; for they do not like to confess that their pretence of knowledge has been detected--which is the truth; and as they are numerous and ambitious and energetic, socrates apology essay, and are drawn up in battle array and have persuasive tongues, they have filled your ears with their loud and inveterate calumnies.
And this is the reason why my three accusers, Meletus and Anytus and Lycon, have set upon me; Meletus, who has a quarrel with me on behalf of the poets; Anytus, on behalf of the craftsmen and politicians; Lycon, on behalf of the rhetoricians: and as I said at the beginning, I cannot expect to get rid of such a mass of calumny all in a moment.
Apology
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Socrates Life And The Apology Essay. Socrates is known as a prominent and somewhat contentious Greek philosopher of the fifth century. He spent most of his life searching for truth. In searching for truth, he would create a new method of thinking. He would question, criticize, use logic and reason to In this essay I will discuss the character of Socrates as he is presented in the Apology, I will look at Socrates as a religious fanatic and an apostle of reason. I will provide an argument from my own personal stance that the character of Socrates in the Apology is a variation of both religious fanatic and apostle of reason In ancient Greece, philosophy was basically the love for wisdom. Socrates who is the most known ancient philosopher, did not admit to have wisdom or knowledge. His philosophy was always a quest; never a body of knowledge or doctrine (Ansley, ).The aim of this essay is to discuss the roles of philosophy according to Socrates in the apology. This essay will include a brief background of the
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