The Life and Works of Socrates - 966 Words

Socrates, a Greek philosopher and teacher, was born June 4th, 469 BC in Athens, lived his life in Athens, and died in May 7, 399 BC. Because Socrates never wrote anything of his own, there is little evidence of Socrates life. Everything the world knows about Socrates comes mainly from the works of Plato, Aristotle, Aristophanes, and Xenophon. These works are mostly dialogues, plays, and historians’ notes. It is in the works and dialogues of two main witnesses that the life of Socrates has mostly been constructed. These two witnesses are Plato and Xenophon, both of which were students of Socrates. From these writings, we learn that Socrates’ father, Sophroniscus, was a stone cutter, or sculptor, and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife.†¦show more content†¦He questioned the men of Athens about their knowledge of good, beauty, and virtue. Finding that they knew nothing and yet believed that they knew much, Socrates came to the conclusion that he was wise only in so far as he knew that he knew nothing. Socrates superior intellect made the influential Athenians he questioned in public look foolish. This made the Athenians angrier and turned them against him even more, which lead to the final accusations of wrong doing. He was found guilty of the charges and was sentenced to death by drinking a cup of hemlock, which is a poisonous plant with a red or purple spotted stem. The spots are known as â€Å"the blood of Socrates† is a representation of his death. According to Xenophon and Plato, Socrates had a chance to escape his execution and flee Athens with a plan of his followers to bribe the guards. He passed on the plan because his belief of himself having knowingly agreed to live under the laws of the city, he had subjected himself to the possibility of being accused of crimes by its citizens and found guilty by a jury. It is known that Socrates felt that a man’s evil and wrong doings was from ignorance and failure to investigate why people act at they do. The following are things about Socrates’ philosophies, beliefs and his contributions to society. Socrates is credited with saying â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living†, and â€Å"no man knowingly does evil.â⠂¬  Xenophon noted Socrates as being aShow MoreRelatedThe Socratic Method And Nietzsche s Objections1390 Words   |  6 Pagesapology, the story is told of how Chaerephon, friend of Socrates, went to the temple at Delphi to ask the oracle a question pertaining to the wisdom of Socrates, and how it compares to the rest of the men on earth. â€Å"He asked if any man was wiser than I, and the Pythian replied that no one was wiser† (Plato). This response was very confusing to Socrates because he recognized that he was not wise at all, and it troubled him for some time. Socrates then tries to refute the oracle by bringing a supposedlyRead MoreSocrates Was A Controversial Figure Essay1618 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates, one of the greatest philosophers in history, was arrested, put in jail, and was sentenced to death. The reason for being put in jail and getting the death sentence was because some believed he went out all over Athens, corrupting their youth and creating chaos in their way of life. Although these are some big accusations at the time, some believed that Socrates did commit these crimes to the fact that some of the people of Athens, particularly did not like Socrates due to the fact thatRead More`` Always Outgunned, Always Outnumbered By Walter Mosley1118 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Always Outgunned, Always Outnumbered† is a cornucopia of 14 parable, interconnected short stories deeply embedded with philosophic moral dilemmas, written by author Walter Mosley. This collection of stories is an episodic look into the life of Socrates Fortlow; the book’s stoic main character, who must endure the daily struggles of being a symbolic black man in a predominately white man’s world. Without ever becoming too race centered, author Walter Mosley’s primary focus is about the animosityRead MoreEssay on Platos Apology932 Words   |  4 Pagesof seventy, Socrates found himself fighting against an indictment of impiety. He was unsuccessful at trial in the year 399 B.C. The charges were corrupting the youth of Athens, not believing in the traditional gods in whom the city believed, and finally, that he believed in other new divinities. In Platos Apology, Socrates defends himself against these charges. He claims that the jurors opinions are biased because they had probably all seen Aristophanes comedy The Clouds. The Socrates portrayedRead MoreReaction Paper On Socrates1250 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was born in circa 470 BC, in Athens Greece. The way we know about Socrates life through the writing of his fellow students, including Plato and Xenophon. In this paper, I will be discussing: the problem that most of his fellow citizens have against him and how can philosophy help us. The kind values that Socrates defends through his trail, and how the knowledge and virtue are required for a meaningful life. First, what from his perspective, is the problem that most of his fellow citizensRead MoreThe Apology: The Understanding of the Soul in Life and Death Essay1735 Words   |  7 Pagesbrief synopsis of each major theme, with an analysis and my opinion following, and ending with the question of Socrates own death. Firstly, Plato introduces the important concept that it is far worse for one to do wrong than to suffer wrongdoing. Socrates, refusing to be harmed by Meletus, believes that â€Å"it is not allowed that a good man be injured by a worse† (pg. 41). 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To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life wouldRead MoreSocrates And Achilles1466 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Socrates and Achilles: the Martyr Heroes Madelyn Vogel ILS 205 By comparing himself to the Greek hero Achilles before the jury in Plato’s Apology, Socrates attempts to portray himself as a hero of equal merit to Achilles and others of similar standing. By selecting the greatest of the Classical Greeks to compare and contrast himself to in his argument, Socrates surreptitiously urges his audience to view him as being of the same caliber as Achilles. This not only authenticates Socrates’ claims,Read MoreApology, By Plato s Apology1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I know, I do not know,† are the words that constitute Socrates’ philosophy that â€Å"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.† In â€Å"Apology,† written by Plato, this ethical belief makes a bold appearance demonstrating that true ignorance only revolves around those who think that they know everything. In â€Å"Apology,† Socrates learns that the wisest men are those who do not think of themselves of wise, and rather make an approach of going beyond an authentic method of inquiry and helping othersRead MoreAnalysis Of Friedrich Nietzsche s Twilight Of The Idols 1179 Words   |  5 PagesInstinct In Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical work, Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche has strong opinions on the belief of virtue and instinct. Nietzsche is known to be a controversial philosopher, since he goes against the Christian church and its ideals of human nature and indulgence. Another thinker known to speak of human nature is the Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates finds disparity within human nature and knowledge. Both philosophers examine life and its characteristics and what it means to