Free Essay

Enemyof the States

In: Philosophy and Psychology

Submitted By merlyn
Words 873
Pages 4
Was Socrates and Enemy of the States?
It’s well known that Socrates, a classical Greek Philosopher, who speaks in a simple plain conversational manner. He does not have many material possessions. He is also one of the most important figures in the history of western philosophy. Socrates method of doctrines consists of questioning others who claimed to have great knowledge or wisdom, and through elenchus, cross examination, showing them that they were in fact ignorant. Thus, his influence lies not in the theories he advanced but his method of approaching questions, and unrelenting scrutiny. With this, he was accused of corrupting the thought of the young people, his students and by failing to honor the gods of the city (Plato p24b, c). 1. What is your initial point of view?
No, Socrates was not an enemy of the state. Enemy of the state is usually referred to those who oppose the core values of the system. The Athenians thought that Socrates is against the state and the over-ruling of the government. He strongly believes in living one’s philosophy and the pursuit of one’s belief is necessary for all intelligent man. He was seen as an enemy of the states by criticizing some of the ways of the Athenians in his teachings. He announced himself having doubts about the democracy as an effective form of government, as well as about the authority of city religious system. 2. How can you define your point of view clearly?
Socrates developed unique methods and philosophies in seeking knowledge, for which drew much criticism in his life, but which served him as an icon after his death. The Socratic Method was introduced. It was based on cross-examination as a way to uncover inconsistencies in the assumptions inherent in other questions. He believed that by revealing underlying false assumptions, one could provide the means to form truthful conclusions. While that belief helped his students to discover inconsistencies in their own morals and beliefs, it was met by many established thinkers of the time; many were offended by the thought of inconsistencies in their own already established work. 3. What is an example of your point of view?
Socrates taught his pupils to know themselves and to have integrity. If he disobeyed the laws and ran away from his death, then it would have contradicted what he stood for and made his pupils doubt what he said about anything. 4. What is the origin of your point of view?
“To do is right, and one must not give way or retreat or leave one’s post, but both war and in courts and everywhere else, one must obey the commands of one’s city and country, or persuade it as to the nature of justice (Citro 51b)”. 5. What are your assumptions?
As far as I understand, enemy is someone not simply opposing generally accepted believes and opinions, not someone proposing the possible need for thinking over how successful and beneficial the present political and religious persuasions are. Being an enemy of the state is actually considering your state to be your rival. Socrates was hostile and striving to establish his own ideas. He was indeed a controversial political figure, but his teachings were not rebellious, obviously he was not determined to overthrow the democratic leaders that actually represented the “state”, or to persecute people for the religious believes he considered questionable; he only wanted them think. 6. What are the reason, evidence, selections, and arguments that support your point of view?
Socrates held that the soul is the source of moral character and that the manifestation of all virtue is tied into knowing one’s true self (Meno p69d). It then followed that knowledge and virtue are the same, which to the belief that virtue, in and of itself, cannot be taught. That belief went against the belief of the Sophists of the time, who attempted to teach virtue through teaching rhetoric. 7. What are the other points of view of this issue?
Socrates believes in God. He admits to not believing to the god’s of Athens, but does assert that he lives his life by the words of some sort of higher being or spirits. “I live in poverty because of my service to God” (Apology 23b). Socrates believed that external circumstances, including material goods, were unimportant to a person’s ultimate happiness. He himself neglected his financial affairs to the extent that he ended up relatively poor. 8. What is your conclusion, decision, selection, or prediction?
Socrates does not believe in the gods whom the states believe in but he seeks natural explanation for natural processes. He speculates about the heavens and things beneath the earth (Apology 27d). Socrates basis of the charge of disbelief in the gods of the city was because he seeks natural explanation and astrological and geological phenomena rather than attributing natural events to the gods. 9. What are the consequences of your point of view? Socrates death became visible to the eyes of the many. His philosophical teachings became famous and through the entire history. After his death, his students set to work both on exercising their perceptions of his teachings in politics and also on developing many new philosophical schools of thought.

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