In our class we will explore texts from Greek drama and philosophy, as well as biblical passages and world literature, to examine the importance of the individual's struggle in the search for the Good Life. Here in this blog, we will question the concepts of “courage,” “free speech” and “civil disobedience” as well as attempting to discover the characteristics of the hero/martyr/saint.
of course I agree it seems both absurd to define a person and futile. When we examine ourselves and others we should always become aware of the inexhaustible nature of such a process. I am more that what you say I am, even more than what I say I am. Yet this infinite logos or speech does not mean that we should retreat into silence. Would I learn anything from such a solipsistic wisdom? Is there a gain or intimacy obtained? My refusal to say something about someone because I wish to respect the mystery of the person only leads me further away from the very creature before me, further away from really embracing that mystery as something interesting to me. In silence he only becomes an unknown object that I can not come into contact with versus an arresting subject that i can engage with. Only when we attempt to understand, define, identify the person(s) before us do we start to bridge that gap between myself and the other. Yes, I agree the building of that bridge may never be complete but this only means that the conversation becomes the end in itself. The thing whereby we discover ourselves and the others before us. The beauty resides in its inexhaustible nature as we always have more to discover about the ones before us and ourselves.
Socrates is a humble individual who puts the highest value on knowledge and learning, yet shares with others freely because he does not see himself as wiser than others after a life of finding others who knew more than he or information that he did not possess. However, he is considered to be one of the wisest, for he knew the limit and worthlessness of his wisdom, for it was only human wisdom.
I deleted the first comment, because I thought I should elaborate.
Who is Socrates? Who is anybody? A man is just a portrayal of an idea. He is the physical manifestation of his assumed superiority. Is he allowed to judge the other people in the Athens because he can admit that he knows nothing? If he knows nothing, but knows more than the rest of the people in Athens, then they know less than nothing? Socrates feels that because he can understand the virtues of man, he is the most virtuous of all men. He never says it, but despite Plato's endearing words about the bravery of the man, Socrates seems just a little pompous. I'm not saying he is not wise, but his actions tend to lend themselves to defining him as a sort of self-righteous jerk. And I guess we can call him courageous because he stands up for what he believes in while he looks death in the face, but what man would shame his life's work instead of stand up for it. Again, I agree with most of the man's philosophy, but I don't agree with the man as an idea.
Socrates cares about the soul more than anything else. He believes the soul comes before the human, is eternal and endures forever. This is why death does not frighten Socrates, “To fear death, gentleman, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know.” He believes death is either an eternal, dreamless sleep where the dead do not perceive anything or death is when the soul gets relocated to another place. Socrates also said that one should try to bring the moral potential of his soul to actualization so that it gains power over the personality, basically bringing out the goodness within. Socrates however, knows that he is handicapped by his “human wisdom” and therefore can’t be wiser than anyone he knows, which in a way makes him wise...?
I must say that I genuinely enjoyed reading this text and found it very interesting. As to say who Socrates is, there is a need for a much deeper analysis of his character. How can you describe an entire being in just a few words? Socrates most definitely is an articulate individual; my other opinions on him are however subjective to how one interprets the text. When first reading the apology Socrates came across as being humble in nature, willing to admit when he knew nothing and also not wanting to be put on a pedestal in the public life as fulfilling what he believes in was more important. He is definitely courageous as he does not fear death over what is view of the “good life” is; philosophy. However as I read on he started to come across as being quite arrogant especially when he said “if you kill me you will not easily find another like me.” Then can one man be both humble and arrogant? His whole idea of wisdom is centered on not assuming you know when you don’t know. It also led me to consider what does Socrates really know when all he talks about is accepting that he does not know? Nonetheless Socrates is a very interesting individual and I particularly look forward to class discussion on Monday.
It takes a great amount of wisdom to know oneself, and so it would take profound wisdom to truly know someone else. Obviously, I do not know Socrates, but thanks to the sketch that Plato has left for us, I have a picture of how he thought. Socrates struck me as virtuous for many reasons. First, his decision to speak in words the politicians would have heard spoken in the agora showed the purity of his intentions. He would not muddle his message with pretensions or efforts to impress. Secondly, Socrates, even in his wisdom, was always searching for one wiser than himself. The fact that he could not find a wiser man does not make him self-impressed as our modern interpretation may lead us to believe, but rather it makes him quite humble. Even in his wisdom, he could not believe the oracle’s claim, and so he searched in an effort to know himself and to learn from and about others. His interrogation of Meletus is the only thing that may not paint him in the most virtuous light. At times it seems like the questions Socrates asks are more for the sake of publicly embarrassing Meletus than for the sake of justice. However, every point that Socrates makes is a valid, further demonstrating his commitment to truth.
Socrates can be seen as two different individuals. First, he is the wisest man of his time, knowing he knows nothing, and thus being far more knowledgeable of the world than his peers. He seeks to learn who is wise and who is not, seemingly under divine influence. He is hated for this task, because he uncovers the false wisdom in people, essentially calling everybody "stupid." It does also seem that though he never explicitly says he is wiser than all others before his trial, his peers seem to assume that is what he is implying, simply because he is undermining people's wisdom, without seemingly undermining his own.
Another view of Socrates can be that he is a crazy person who is under the impression that the gods wish him to seek wisdom in others, while keeping in mind that he knows nothing himself. This may seem to be the view his peers have taken to him. Thus giving reason for his condemnation (aside from him debasing people's wisdom).
However, in the end, Socrates' knowledge that he knows nothing of worth is his defining character of "who he is." He knows that of any knowledge he has gained, they are of no worth in the larger scope of things, especially once gods are involved. In the grand scale of the universe, it seems that his knowing that human knowledge is a mere speck on the giant canvas of the universe is him being closer to truth and happiness than those who falsify their knowledge, thinking they know much about everything when indeed, their knowledge is insignificant.
(I've answered the question in a more literal sense, not delving into the abstractness of how Socrates embodies his character and who he is).
Socrates seems to represent a kind of obvious logic and truth in the face of confusion. He starts his testimony by stating that everything held against him was a lie biased against him. I like his view of wisdom, but maybe that's just my enjoyment of word-plays talking. Anyway, he shows intense boldness by refuting the intelligence of politicians and writers. He therefore blames his unpopularity on his own wisdom and on the inability of others to accept his new insights. I like this character so far.
Socrates is a philosopher concerned with being just and pious. He values truth and virtue highly. However, Socrates has been accused of teaching others, particularly the young, about “things in the sky and below the earth,” and of charging a fee for his teachings. He claims that no of this is true, that he has only been doing God’s will, and that the young tend to follow him and listen. Socrates tells how his friend Chaerephon went to Delphi and Delphi said that Socrates is the wisest. After analyzing this, Socrates comes to the conclusion that he has wisdom because he knows what he does not know, and does not try to deceive himself or others of his knowledge. On the other hand, Meletus and society seem to see Socrates’s wisdom as more of a threat to society, that he could disrupt the established hierarchy, for he destroys the wisdom of “popular” figures. For this, the jury convicts him.
Socrates was a passionate man committed to his beliefs and quest to do the right thing, not the thing most advantageous. He acknowledges the fact that he is wise only in that he does not think he knows the things that he actually does not know. His dialogue sometimes seems a bit arrogant but I believe that this is the effect of confidence of his innocence. He was not intimidated to point out the character flaws of his peers though this most likely brought about his condemnation. He would rather die, which he admits he does not know whether it’s good or bad, than be prohibited from what he felt was his life’s purpose: philosophizing. He would also rather be honest about his beliefs than use dishonesty to save himself from death, which I thought was very admirable. I really enjoyed reading this passage. I found Socrates to be very persuasive and commendable.
Socrates was a teacher and a student of the virtuous life. He attempted to both live, and spread the living of the contemplative life. He forced all those around him to open their eyes to the world and challenge the "truths" of society in which they lived. The Socratic method of logical reasoning still prevails today as the most effective way to get to the true heart of an issue. As a student, Socrates was always attempting to live and learn about life.
Socrates was perceived as a know it all who had a voice with the youth. He was known to always tell the truth as rightly as he could no matter what. He wasn't shy about his inquires and assumed others wanted to find the truth and dismissed them when they became angry at the truth and projected their anger onto him. In the reading it seems like he's displaying his emotions like a person in his position would, but his explanations reveal he's truly focused on correcting bad logic and showing the value of truth, not on proving his innocence.
He's so dedicated he even tells his jurors that all the wise men (and I assume some were on the jury) he had talked to were basically dead. "To fear death, gentleman, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not" he also accuses them of holding wealth, reputation and honors above truth and wisdom. He has completely dedicated him self to the pursuit of truth and won't even give that up during his own trial to live.
Socrates is an arrogant man that can't be refuted by the truth because he admits to his not knowing. He knows he possesses ignorance and only seeks to get others to fulfill their virtue.
In the opinion of many people, Socrates no longer is. But in the sense that once one is born they can never disappear, Socrates is an ignorant man, much like the rest of us. But in his ignorance, and specifically through the acknowledging of it, he is the wisest man. He is a student of the world, of life, constantly seeking knowledge and asking questions. Yet through his questioning, he is the teacher of many people, both in the past and continuing today. He is a pauper, for he never sought monetary compensation for anything he may have taught those around him. And he is wealthy, for he knew that a good and virtuous spirit is the key to a good and virtuous life. He is a criminal, for he insulted men of great knowledge and corrupted the thoughts of the youth of his time, as well as corrupting the minds of many others today. And he is a guardian, a savior, for the god placed him on Earth and guided him along his path in life so that he may in turn guide us in the right direction along our respective life paths. Socrates is many things, but mainly he is however we choose to view him - and then also how we don't.
Socrates believed that in order to be wise, you must believe that you are not wise (paradox?). He doesn't care about losing the popularity contest, as long as he can get his message out. As ridiculous and counter-productive as Socrates' logic on wisdom may seem, it is what he believes is true and important for people to understand. (I have a suspicion that if everyone knew that they knew nothing, that nobody would want to try to learn anything, because they knew they wouldn't actually become any wiser).
While reading this, I imagined Socrates as a little boy who was very proud of himself for making a clever discovery, and who told his entire school about it. Although I found him to be a little arrogant, it was necessary for him to spread his ideas. He was a good public speaker, and he was great at manipulating people ("manipulation" has a negative connotation. Not what I was going for).
Socrates was a teacher and philosopher who, in this text, is on trial for his life. He believes in knowledge and truth above all else, but he has been accused of corrupting the young. He does not apologize for anything he's taught; he simply tries to appeal to the reason of his accusers by pinting out the flaws of their accusations, which, as we all know, fails.
Socrates is a man who values truth above all else. He is one who encourages the exploration of beliefs and ideas that man isn't already accustomed to. He isn't a man who makes others feel lesser than him; rather, he explains his opinion in a way that tries to make others understand. Like Morgan said, he knows he possesses ignorance. However, he uses that ignorance to help people understand his opinions, all the while knowing that they might be as ignorant as he is.
Socrates was a man who lived in Athens between 469 BC–399 BC. According to available sources, others considered Socrates a philosopher and a teacher. One of his main principles was that those who were supposedly wise had no wisdom outside of their respective field, even though they thought they did. He was the teacher of Plato, who in turn taught Aristotle. Socrates was notorious for asking questions and not answering them. According to available sources, Socrates did not view himself as wife, except in his knowledge that he had no wisdom. He was executed because he refused to stop being a philosopher. I am not entirely sure what you wanted with the question "who was Socrates", but I think a small biography is the best way to answer this particular question.
Socrates seems to me to be kind of egotistical. He seems to think he is smarter and therefore better than everyone else. He is very verbose; taking quite a long time to explain how he is more intelligent than politicians, poets, and craftsmen. He does, however have some good ideas, pointing out that no one can believe in a practice without believeing in those who practice it. And, that no man wishes to be harmed. He is apparently a radical, stirring up society by filling young kids' heads with "crazy" ideas about religion. I respect his notion that he knows that he knows nothing. I agree with him on that point. We as humans only know things which we have created. We may know how to read or solve mathematical equations, but other humans made all those things up. It's almost like being really good at a game that you invented. Of course we can learn about the things we made up...
Socrates is a teacher, he is a thinker, he is a doubter. He seems almost un-flappable; he can question anyone on anything, and make them question it in return. He comes off sometimes as arrogant and better-than-thou, but, according to Muhammad Ali, it ain't bragging if you're the best. Or something like that. But, most importantly, he was a man of principal. He was principled enough to never settle for a half-truth, or a poorly-reasoned answer. And he died for his principals.
Socrates is a philosopher and a thinker, yes, but he is very human here, on trial for his life. And yet, he's extremely rational in his appeal. In the rationality of his appeal, he shows that his life, or at least the way he functions, is based on a search for truth. He doesn't make decisions lightly. I find his portrayal here very noble and very principled. In his mind, he has committed no evil, simply searched for the good.
To me, Socrates appears to be the humble old man who helped others realize what true wisdom is- to realize that their wisdom is deficient. I don't think he is trying to sound superior to everyone else, but I think he is offering his argument of what he believes to be true wisdom. I also believe he is courageous for standing up for his principles and beliefs. Socrates said that he would die instead of give up philosophy. That takes courage to say, but then it takes even more courage to follow up on. He believes he is doing everyone a good deed by educating them on true wisdom, but he admits that he could be an annoyance. He is willing to accept that fate as long as he can continue to hold his head up high on his own convictions. I hope that was sufficient...
Socrates is first and fore-mostly a philosopher. He is a philosopher not in the way that I am a business major or my dad is a lawyer, but in the way that my sensei is a teacher and that I sometimes think I am student. For Socrates, philosophy is not an occupation but an all encompassing identity. As a philosopher, Socrates is a thinker. He thinks clearly and logically. This is reflected in his words and allows him to win the arguments, at least in the eyes of the reader.
As a philosopher, Socrates philosophy is central to his existence and he is unwilling to compromise it, even to save his own life. Because of this, he argues for his innocence (instead of compromising and seeking a lesser penalty). He looses his life and retains his philosophical purity.
To many, this would seem a questionable choice, but with Socrates identity and associated values in mind, it seems perfectly logical. He is a old man, so he looses an little life to remain a philosopher and becomes a martyr.
Socrates was one of the three great Athenian philosophers. He introduced the dialectic method of inquiry to the western world. He taught the people tho question themselves and their beliefs through this method. Additionally, he was notorious for asking questions and not answering which put him at odds with his fellow philosophers.
I see two ways to handle this question. First, "Who is Socrates as a man, in the context of 'The Apology'?" Socrates the man is the only true wise man on earth, because he knows he is not wise. Because of this, Socrates is deifned as a man by his wisdom, virtue, and intellect. I would say that he is defined by his human reason, which is something above and beyond the physical body and earthly accomplishments, while other men are defined by the earthly things baout them such as their profession or amount of wealth. The second possibility is "Who is Socrates as an allegorical character created by Plato?" I think Socrates himself answered this question- he is the gadfly prodding the horse. Essentially, Socrates and his philosophies represent the human conscience and consciousness. Notice how everything that Socrates explains about virtue, wisdom, and humility makes perfect sense, but almost every reader still finds him arrogant and is repulsed. This is the same exasperated feeling we get from a parent who advises us ot study instead of go out, or our own conscience when it tells us the same. Socrates, with his knowledge that he knows nothing, is the man we all strive to be, because intellectually we can understand the sense and value of his way of life, and why knowing that he knows nothing brings him wisdom, but our human passions and ego get in the way of achieving that state. Socrates represents the virtuous philosopher in all of us, and this dialogue represents how our vices kill him off (namely laziness and fear).
Going to back to the first way I answered the question, that is why killing, punishing, improsining, exiling, or fining Socrates will do him no harm. As a virtuous man, he is more of a detached intellect, somewhat like a 'soul' (but don't take that word too strongly with its modern religious associations), than a man in the flesh. This is why he does not fear death and other men do. For some men, the answer to "who am I" is "I am a politician." These men are nothing when they die, for their ties to their identity will be severed. Socrates' identity is in himself, generated by his own virtuous life, and therefore death will not destroy him. His intellect (or 'soul' if you understand my meaning on that one) will persevere through any earthly punishment.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletecute michael.
ReplyDeleteof course I agree it seems both absurd to define a person and futile. When we examine ourselves and others we should always become aware of the inexhaustible nature of such a process. I am more that what you say I am, even more than what I say I am. Yet this infinite logos or speech does not mean that we should retreat into silence. Would I learn anything from such a solipsistic wisdom? Is there a gain or intimacy obtained? My refusal to say something about someone because I wish to respect the mystery of the person only leads me further away from the very creature before me, further away from really embracing that mystery as something interesting to me. In silence he only becomes an unknown object that I can not come into contact with versus an arresting subject that i can engage with. Only when we attempt to understand, define, identify the person(s) before us do we start to bridge that gap between myself and the other. Yes, I agree the building of that bridge may never be complete but this only means that the conversation becomes the end in itself. The thing whereby we discover ourselves and the others before us. The beauty resides in its inexhaustible nature as we always have more to discover about the ones before us and ourselves.
Socrates is a humble individual who puts the highest value on knowledge and learning, yet shares with others freely because he does not see himself as wiser than others after a life of finding others who knew more than he or information that he did not possess. However, he is considered to be one of the wisest, for he knew the limit and worthlessness of his wisdom, for it was only human wisdom.
ReplyDeleteI deleted the first comment, because I thought I should elaborate.
ReplyDeleteWho is Socrates? Who is anybody? A man is just a portrayal of an idea. He is the physical manifestation of his assumed superiority. Is he allowed to judge the other people in the Athens because he can admit that he knows nothing? If he knows nothing, but knows more than the rest of the people in Athens, then they know less than nothing? Socrates feels that because he can understand the virtues of man, he is the most virtuous of all men. He never says it, but despite Plato's endearing words about the bravery of the man, Socrates seems just a little pompous. I'm not saying he is not wise, but his actions tend to lend themselves to defining him as a sort of self-righteous jerk. And I guess we can call him courageous because he stands up for what he believes in while he looks death in the face, but what man would shame his life's work instead of stand up for it. Again, I agree with most of the man's philosophy, but I don't agree with the man as an idea.
Socrates cares about the soul more than anything else. He believes the soul comes before the human, is eternal and endures forever. This is why death does not frighten Socrates, “To fear death, gentleman, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know.” He believes death is either an eternal, dreamless sleep where the dead do not perceive anything or death is when the soul gets relocated to another place.
ReplyDeleteSocrates also said that one should try to bring the moral potential of his soul to actualization so that it gains power over the personality, basically bringing out the goodness within. Socrates however, knows that he is handicapped by his “human wisdom” and therefore can’t be wiser than anyone he knows, which in a way makes him wise...?
I must say that I genuinely enjoyed reading this text and found it very interesting. As to say who Socrates is, there is a need for a much deeper analysis of his character. How can you describe an entire being in just a few words? Socrates most definitely is an articulate individual; my other opinions on him are however subjective to how one interprets the text.
ReplyDeleteWhen first reading the apology Socrates came across as being humble in nature, willing to admit when he knew nothing and also not wanting to be put on a pedestal in the public life as fulfilling what he believes in was more important. He is definitely courageous as he does not fear death over what is view of the “good life” is; philosophy.
However as I read on he started to come across as being quite arrogant especially when he said “if you kill me you will not easily find another like me.” Then can one man be both humble and arrogant? His whole idea of wisdom is centered on not assuming you know when you don’t know. It also led me to consider what does Socrates really know when all he talks about is accepting that he does not know? Nonetheless Socrates is a very interesting individual and I particularly look forward to class discussion on Monday.
It takes a great amount of wisdom to know oneself, and so it would take profound wisdom to truly know someone else. Obviously, I do not know Socrates, but thanks to the sketch that Plato has left for us, I have a picture of how he thought.
ReplyDeleteSocrates struck me as virtuous for many reasons. First, his decision to speak in words the politicians would have heard spoken in the agora showed the purity of his intentions. He would not muddle his message with pretensions or efforts to impress. Secondly, Socrates, even in his wisdom, was always searching for one wiser than himself. The fact that he could not find a wiser man does not make him self-impressed as our modern interpretation may lead us to believe, but rather it makes him quite humble. Even in his wisdom, he could not believe the oracle’s claim, and so he searched in an effort to know himself and to learn from and about others.
His interrogation of Meletus is the only thing that may not paint him in the most virtuous light. At times it seems like the questions Socrates asks are more for the sake of publicly embarrassing Meletus than for the sake of justice. However, every point that Socrates makes is a valid, further demonstrating his commitment to truth.
Socrates can be seen as two different individuals. First, he is the wisest man of his time, knowing he knows nothing, and thus being far more knowledgeable of the world than his peers. He seeks to learn who is wise and who is not, seemingly under divine influence. He is hated for this task, because he uncovers the false wisdom in people, essentially calling everybody "stupid." It does also seem that though he never explicitly says he is wiser than all others before his trial, his peers seem to assume that is what he is implying, simply because he is undermining people's wisdom, without seemingly undermining his own.
ReplyDeleteAnother view of Socrates can be that he is a crazy person who is under the impression that the gods wish him to seek wisdom in others, while keeping in mind that he knows nothing himself. This may seem to be the view his peers have taken to him. Thus giving reason for his condemnation (aside from him debasing people's wisdom).
However, in the end, Socrates' knowledge that he knows nothing of worth is his defining character of "who he is." He knows that of any knowledge he has gained, they are of no worth in the larger scope of things, especially once gods are involved. In the grand scale of the universe, it seems that his knowing that human knowledge is a mere speck on the giant canvas of the universe is him being closer to truth and happiness than those who falsify their knowledge, thinking they know much about everything when indeed, their knowledge is insignificant.
(I've answered the question in a more literal sense, not delving into the abstractness of how Socrates embodies his character and who he is).
Socrates seems to represent a kind of obvious logic and truth in the face of confusion. He starts his testimony by stating that everything held against him was a lie biased against him. I like his view of wisdom, but maybe that's just my enjoyment of word-plays talking. Anyway, he shows intense boldness by refuting the intelligence of politicians and writers. He therefore blames his unpopularity on his own wisdom and on the inability of others to accept his new insights. I like this character so far.
ReplyDeleteSocrates is a philosopher concerned with being just and pious. He values truth and virtue highly. However, Socrates has been accused of teaching others, particularly the young, about “things in the sky and below the earth,” and of charging a fee for his teachings. He claims that no of this is true, that he has only been doing God’s will, and that the young tend to follow him and listen. Socrates tells how his friend Chaerephon went to Delphi and Delphi said that Socrates is the wisest. After analyzing this, Socrates comes to the conclusion that he has wisdom because he knows what he does not know, and does not try to deceive himself or others of his knowledge. On the other hand, Meletus and society seem to see Socrates’s wisdom as more of a threat to society, that he could disrupt the established hierarchy, for he destroys the wisdom of “popular” figures. For this, the jury convicts him.
ReplyDeleteSocrates was a passionate man committed to his beliefs and quest to do the right thing, not the thing most advantageous. He acknowledges the fact that he is wise only in that he does not think he knows the things that he actually does not know. His dialogue sometimes seems a bit arrogant but I believe that this is the effect of confidence of his innocence. He was not intimidated to point out the character flaws of his peers though this most likely brought about his condemnation. He would rather die, which he admits he does not know whether it’s good or bad, than be prohibited from what he felt was his life’s purpose: philosophizing. He would also rather be honest about his beliefs than use dishonesty to save himself from death, which I thought was very admirable.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this passage. I found Socrates to be very persuasive and commendable.
Socrates was a teacher and a student of the virtuous life. He attempted to both live, and spread the living of the contemplative life. He forced all those around him to open their eyes to the world and challenge the "truths" of society in which they lived. The Socratic method of logical reasoning still prevails today as the most effective way to get to the true heart of an issue. As a student, Socrates was always attempting to live and learn about life.
ReplyDeleteSocrates was perceived as a know it all who had a voice with the youth. He was known to always tell the truth as rightly as he could no matter what. He wasn't shy about his inquires and assumed others wanted to find the truth and dismissed them when they became angry at the truth and projected their anger onto him. In the reading it seems like he's displaying his emotions like a person in his position would, but his explanations reveal he's truly focused on correcting bad logic and showing the value of truth, not on proving his innocence.
ReplyDeleteHe's so dedicated he even tells his jurors that all the wise men (and I assume some were on the jury) he had talked to were basically dead. "To fear death, gentleman, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not" he also accuses them of holding wealth, reputation and honors above truth and wisdom. He has completely dedicated him self to the pursuit of truth and won't even give that up during his own trial to live.
Socrates is an arrogant man that can't be refuted by the truth because he admits to his not knowing. He knows he possesses ignorance and only seeks to get others to fulfill their virtue.
In the opinion of many people, Socrates no longer is. But in the sense that once one is born they can never disappear, Socrates is an ignorant man, much like the rest of us. But in his ignorance, and specifically through the acknowledging of it, he is the wisest man. He is a student of the world, of life, constantly seeking knowledge and asking questions. Yet through his questioning, he is the teacher of many people, both in the past and continuing today. He is a pauper, for he never sought monetary compensation for anything he may have taught those around him. And he is wealthy, for he knew that a good and virtuous spirit is the key to a good and virtuous life. He is a criminal, for he insulted men of great knowledge and corrupted the thoughts of the youth of his time, as well as corrupting the minds of many others today. And he is a guardian, a savior, for the god placed him on Earth and guided him along his path in life so that he may in turn guide us in the right direction along our respective life paths. Socrates is many things, but mainly he is however we choose to view him - and then also how we don't.
ReplyDeleteSocrates believed that in order to be wise, you must believe that you are not wise (paradox?). He doesn't care about losing the popularity contest, as long as he can get his message out. As ridiculous and counter-productive as Socrates' logic on wisdom may seem, it is what he believes is true and important for people to understand. (I have a suspicion that if everyone knew that they knew nothing, that nobody would want to try to learn anything, because they knew they wouldn't actually become any wiser).
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this, I imagined Socrates as a little boy who was very proud of himself for making a clever discovery, and who told his entire school about it. Although I found him to be a little arrogant, it was necessary for him to spread his ideas. He was a good public speaker, and he was great at manipulating people ("manipulation" has a negative connotation. Not what I was going for).
Socrates was a teacher and philosopher who, in this text, is on trial for his life. He believes in knowledge and truth above all else, but he has been accused of corrupting the young. He does not apologize for anything he's taught; he simply tries to appeal to the reason of his accusers by pinting out the flaws of their accusations, which, as we all know, fails.
ReplyDeleteSocrates is a man who values truth above all else. He is one who encourages the exploration of beliefs and ideas that man isn't already accustomed to. He isn't a man who makes others feel lesser than him; rather, he explains his opinion in a way that tries to make others understand. Like Morgan said, he knows he possesses ignorance. However, he uses that ignorance to help people understand his opinions, all the while knowing that they might be as ignorant as he is.
ReplyDeleteSocrates was a man who lived in Athens between 469 BC–399 BC. According to available sources, others considered Socrates a philosopher and a teacher. One of his main principles was that those who were supposedly wise had no wisdom outside of their respective field, even though they thought they did. He was the teacher of Plato, who in turn taught Aristotle. Socrates was notorious for asking questions and not answering them. According to available sources, Socrates did not view himself as wife, except in his knowledge that he had no wisdom. He was executed because he refused to stop being a philosopher.
ReplyDeleteI am not entirely sure what you wanted with the question "who was Socrates", but I think a small biography is the best way to answer this particular question.
Socrates seems to me to be kind of egotistical. He seems to think he is smarter and therefore better than everyone else. He is very verbose; taking quite a long time to explain how he is more intelligent than politicians, poets, and craftsmen. He does, however have some good ideas, pointing out that no one can believe in a practice without believeing in those who practice it. And, that no man wishes to be harmed. He is apparently a radical, stirring up society by filling young kids' heads with "crazy" ideas about religion. I respect his notion that he knows that he knows nothing. I agree with him on that point. We as humans only know things which we have created. We may know how to read or solve mathematical equations, but other humans made all those things up. It's almost like being really good at a game that you invented. Of course we can learn about the things we made up...
ReplyDeleteSocrates is a teacher, he is a thinker, he is a doubter. He seems almost un-flappable; he can question anyone on anything, and make them question it in return. He comes off sometimes as arrogant and better-than-thou, but, according to Muhammad Ali, it ain't bragging if you're the best. Or something like that. But, most importantly, he was a man of principal. He was principled enough to never settle for a half-truth, or a poorly-reasoned answer. And he died for his principals.
ReplyDeleteAnd that makes him honorable.
ReplyDeleteSocrates is a philosopher and a thinker, yes, but he is very human here, on trial for his life. And yet, he's extremely rational in his appeal. In the rationality of his appeal, he shows that his life, or at least the way he functions, is based on a search for truth. He doesn't make decisions lightly. I find his portrayal here very noble and very principled. In his mind, he has committed no evil, simply searched for the good.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Socrates appears to be the humble old man who helped others realize what true wisdom is- to realize that their wisdom is deficient. I don't think he is trying to sound superior to everyone else, but I think he is offering his argument of what he believes to be true wisdom. I also believe he is courageous for standing up for his principles and beliefs. Socrates said that he would die instead of give up philosophy. That takes courage to say, but then it takes even more courage to follow up on. He believes he is doing everyone a good deed by educating them on true wisdom, but he admits that he could be an annoyance. He is willing to accept that fate as long as he can continue to hold his head up high on his own convictions. I hope that was sufficient...
ReplyDelete[Third Try ]:
ReplyDeleteSocrates is first and fore-mostly a philosopher. He is a philosopher not in the way that I am a business major or my dad is a lawyer, but in the way that my sensei is a teacher and that I sometimes think I am student. For Socrates, philosophy is not an occupation but an all encompassing identity. As a philosopher, Socrates is a thinker. He thinks clearly and logically. This is reflected in his words and allows him to win the arguments, at least in the eyes of the reader.
As a philosopher, Socrates philosophy is central to his existence and he is unwilling to compromise it, even to save his own life. Because of this, he argues for his innocence (instead of compromising and seeking a lesser penalty). He looses his life and retains his philosophical purity.
To many, this would seem a questionable choice, but with Socrates identity and associated values in mind, it seems perfectly logical. He is a old man, so he looses an little life to remain a philosopher and becomes a martyr.
Socrates was one of the three great Athenian philosophers. He introduced the dialectic method of inquiry to the western world. He taught the people tho question themselves and their beliefs through this method. Additionally, he was notorious for asking questions and not answering which put him at odds with his fellow philosophers.
ReplyDeleteI see two ways to handle this question.
ReplyDeleteFirst, "Who is Socrates as a man, in the context of 'The Apology'?" Socrates the man is the only true wise man on earth, because he knows he is not wise. Because of this, Socrates is deifned as a man by his wisdom, virtue, and intellect. I would say that he is defined by his human reason, which is something above and beyond the physical body and earthly accomplishments, while other men are defined by the earthly things baout them such as their profession or amount of wealth.
The second possibility is "Who is Socrates as an allegorical character created by Plato?" I think Socrates himself answered this question- he is the gadfly prodding the horse. Essentially, Socrates and his philosophies represent the human conscience and consciousness. Notice how everything that Socrates explains about virtue, wisdom, and humility makes perfect sense, but almost every reader still finds him arrogant and is repulsed. This is the same exasperated feeling we get from a parent who advises us ot study instead of go out, or our own conscience when it tells us the same. Socrates, with his knowledge that he knows nothing, is the man we all strive to be, because intellectually we can understand the sense and value of his way of life, and why knowing that he knows nothing brings him wisdom, but our human passions and ego get in the way of achieving that state. Socrates represents the virtuous philosopher in all of us, and this dialogue represents how our vices kill him off (namely laziness and fear).
Going to back to the first way I answered the question, that is why killing, punishing, improsining, exiling, or fining Socrates will do him no harm. As a virtuous man, he is more of a detached intellect, somewhat like a 'soul' (but don't take that word too strongly with its modern religious associations), than a man in the flesh. This is why he does not fear death and other men do. For some men, the answer to "who am I" is "I am a politician." These men are nothing when they die, for their ties to their identity will be severed. Socrates' identity is in himself, generated by his own virtuous life, and therefore death will not destroy him. His intellect (or 'soul' if you understand my meaning on that one) will persevere through any earthly punishment.
ReplyDelete