Plato s Apology An Individual Level - 970 Words

In Plato’s Apology, Socrates is maliciously accused of corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates deems this argument irrational as he states that it is ludicrous that â€Å"only one person corrupted [the] youth, while others improved them. He later goes on to point the indifference that Meletus, one of his accusers, has towards the youth himself. The idea that by harming others, we are intrinsically harming ourselves is presented here. Although Socrates’ ideas were formed in 339 BC, the ideas of interdependence as a global community as well as individuals are indeed very relevant in today’s society. It is vital that we realize that harm to others causes harm to ourselves as we are all connected as one human society. This is true on an individual level as well as at a nation-wide level. Our connection and interdependence to others is such an essential and imperative idea for us, as human beings, to comprehend. When one harms or is indifferent towards another perso n, one will be ultimately harming one self. For instance, when one person decides to completely ignore an individual who is homeless on the street in a city, that person thinks that their indifference is neither helping nor harming. This is in fact is not only harming the homeless individual but it is also negatively impacting the person who decided to maliciously ignore the homeless man. This homeless man will suffer the consequences of illness, and will eventually have to be taken to the emergency room for anShow MoreRelatedSocrates Sides with Creon or a1379 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates#8217; Sides With? Through my reading of Plato#8217;s Apology of Socrates and Crito, I have been able to see how Socrates makes important decisions and what he primarily bases his decisions on. As a individual person we have individual morals which lead us to our own moral or immoral decisions. Sometimes are own morals or beliefs might oppose the views of the state or the enforced law that clams to find justice. In this case we rely on our own beliefs that may be through passedRead MorePlato s Apology And Crito983 Words   |  4 Pagesevents that have marked the history of humanity on earth. In the following written works, Plato’s Apology and Crito, The Gospel According to Mark, and Dante’s Inferno, religion and politics are shown to be intertwined, which emphasizes the impact of each individual character in each written work. Also, these written works explain how politics are affected by religion and vice versa. Plato’s Apology and Crito are plays that explain how Socrates, who was considered an honored and the wisest man inRead MoreThe Problems Of Humans Are Many1041 Words   |  5 Pageseffective problem solving. Plato was the first philosopher who systematically inquired into issues such as those noted above. He wrote many dialogues, such as Euthyphro and the Apology, but it is from the Meno that the modern instantiation of Plato s Problem is derived. In the Meno, Plato theorizes about the relationship between knowledge and experience and provides an explanation for how it is possible to know something that one has never been explicitly taught. Plato believed that we possess innateRead MoreComparing Twentieth Century Political Thought Leo Strauss And Richard Rorty1421 Words   |  6 Pagessuggestion that the study of philosophy should be a task reserved for a few enlightened intellectuals. Strauss: One of the key themes of the political thought of Leo Strauss is the idea of ‘esotericism.’ At a basic level the concept suggests that texts can be read on multiple levels – a particular work can have one meaning for one audience and a different meaning for another. Primarily, the ‘masses’ will only be able to understand the base/vulgar meanings of the text, whereas the true ‘philosophers’Read MoreThes Of Society And Its Constant Innovation2026 Words   |  9 PagesSocrates said, â€Å"â€Å"I was attached to this city by the god†¦ as upon a great and noble horse which was somewhat sluggish because of its size and needed to be stirred up by a kind of gadfly† (Plato 33). This comparison very aptly describes his role in Greek society and the influence he had on it. The Apology, by Plato, is Plato’s account of the speeches that Socrates gave at his trial for corrupting the youth and being impious in Athens. Socrates doe sn’t apologize for his actions, he only justifies themRead More The Nature of Justice in Society and the Individual According to Plato2338 Words   |  10 Pagesexistence and as such has been discussed by many a philosopher over the ages. Plato discussed Justice at length and this paper will discuss the following questions relating to justice based upon his findings: what is Plato’s account of the nature of justice for the individual, how does Plato build his account, why does Plato take it that the claim made by Thracymachus is altogether mistaken – if indeed he does? Plato finds that justice is the harmonious balance of the three elements of theRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates s Concept Of A Prince1811 Words   |  8 Pagessystems, but he would not be supportive of it because of his differing viewpoint on the aforementioned foundational concepts. Socrates argues that, in any action, a person has only one thing to consider – whether the individual is acting justly or unjustly, â€Å"like a good man or a bad one† (Plato, 54). This lies in Brennan 1 stark contrast to Machiavelli’s view which lauds princes of his time that â€Å"have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuseRead More Plato on Education as the Development of Reason Essay3512 Words   |  15 PagesPlato on Education as the Development of Reason ABSTRACT: Socrates great educational innovation was in ascribing moral worth to the intellectual activity reflectively directed at ones own life. His concept of eudaimonia was so different from the ordinary that talking about it took on sometimes a paradoxical air, as in Apology 30b3. For him, reason is not a tool for attaining goals independently thought worthwhile; rather, rationality itself, expressed in the giving of reasons and the avoidanceRead MoreSecular Sanctity and the Meaning of Life3110 Words   |  12 Pagesidea of love of love that was not selfless but selfish. If todays secular saint finds meaning in life through love (with the object of that love subjective, i.e. different for each individual), for me the meaning of life is less subjective: Whether one is a secular or a hero saint, he is called to attain a level of holiness and virtue ultimately ending in union with God (the spirit of love). Augustines idea of love as having its beginning and its end in God may be considered the fruit of longRead More Justice and Moderation of the Soul in The Republic, by Plato3036 Words   |  13 PagesIn his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in proving that justice is beneficial to those who believe