Critical Analysis of The Apology of Socrates by Plato Essay

Socrates was an orator and philosopher whose immemorial interests were logic, ethics and epistemology. In Platos Apology of Socrates, Plato recounts the speech that Socrates gave shortly to begin with his death, during the trial in 399 BC in which he was charged with profane the young, and by non believing in the gods in whom the city believes, withal being a busybody and intervene gods business. The name of the trim itself is not mean what it is appe ared here, Socrates is not apologizing, only if merely speaking in defense team of his beliefs and actions the word apology is used in the context of its superior meaning.During this apology, Socrates attempts to explain himself and the decisions that led to his action, educating his audience in the philosophical questions he chooses to pose. Socrates does not try to avoid death in the trial instead, his goal is to shed light on the public for the last time before his own passing. Socrates was always spell-bound with the sol ving of questions, both big and small his approach was to use the Socratic method of inquiry, wherein he would break the problem guttle into several questions, and thusly schemeatically regard the answers to each question in high society to find the larger answer.It was a methodical and practical approach to show his nett quest for seeking the true k straightledge. He says, His wisdom is truly wasted this is indicative of his unending search for more and more knowledge (Apology 23b). jibe to him, philosophy starts by restrainting that you are ignorant of the truth, which is what he does here. It is with this approach to philosophical questions and dilemmas the use of Socratic irony that Socrates chooses to engage with his audience and demonstrate why he did what he did. The Socratic method of dialectical investigation apply arguments to try and determine ethics and truth.Two techniques were primarily used by Socrates first, he would create a hypothesis, and then he wou ld investigate whatever potential conflicts with that hypothesis. Assumptions and presumptions would be challenged in order to discover what was true. Socrates focused on valuing thought above all else. His primary method was asking questions, developing hypotheses, and testing them to see if the evidence supported them. Socrates, for the more or less part, values the angiotensin converting enzyme of society, and feels as though a group of passel coming together to form a community should be respected by honoring the social contract.At the identical time, in that respect are aspects of the self that are more important than a communal whole, and a society moldiness be made up of individuals that follow the principles shared by the whole. angiotensin converting enzyme should not be forced to be collect in a mien inconsistent with their beliefs an rarified society is comprised of individuals who may all subscribe to the various philosophies alone are able to listen and e xcept others idea the same time. As Socrates menti matchlessd in the text that a someone should be gauge by what he hire down, not by his behavior.It is only then that justice can be really served. Socrates approach to the trial is admirable instead of expressing panic or desperation at the prospect of his carriage ending, the man instead maintains his calm and simply, effectively explains his position. He presents himself as the ideal philosopher, being unwavering in his justification for his actions and compliments to inspire his audience. utilise his own use of figure of speech and his Socratic principles, he breaks down discussions he has with characters such as the Delphic oracle, Meletus, and more to expound his ideas.The number 1 of Socrates argument relies on the aforementioned acknowledgement of Socratic irony the most philosophical man is the one who admits his ignorance, and is able to point out the ignorance of others. When the oracle of Delphi told Chaerephon t hat no one is wiser than Socrates, he chose to go on a voyage to deal with this paradox he knew he was ignorant, so he could not be wiser than e preciseone else. To that end, he questioned politicians, poets and craftsmen, it coming to the ineffable conclusion that none of them knew what they were lecture about either.At that end, Socrates claims he began to see himself as a exemplar of the oracles words instead of pretending to know a great deal, he chose to profess his ignorance and be impartial with himself about it (23e). To that end, he was able to act as himself and maintain his integrity. During the trial, Socrates holds everyone else to the same standard when he talks about Meletus, his accuser, he calls him out on not in reality caring about what he professes to armorial bearing about namely, the charges against Socrates.Through the trial, Socrates has turn up not only Meletus do not care about the payoff he mentioned in the charge, also he has no idea what is he t alking about either a lot or a little, Socrates cleverly seduced Meletus go into his trap, by using the anger that Meletus hold against Socrates. Because patent there are some much better answers for Meletus to answer. Socrates had very detail ideas regarding what constituted the good bearing. To him, the most important value a person has is virtue, and the good living is spent looking for the Good. This was known as the cacoethes of wisdom.Socrates had little regard for servicemanly affairs, and the material or pleasurable things that many an(prenominal) people might consider to contribute to the good life instead, he thought that the best thing to do in life is to chase after the love of wisdom, instead of money, and reputation, and public honor (Apology 29d-30b). He defended this by documentation the philosophy, and emphasizing certain virtues that were purported to be the best things that gentleity could offer itself. By avoiding the search for wealth and instead grow ing as people, Socrates attempted to material body a community of better individuals.Socrates firmly believed that a higher order should be followed when conducting ones life whenever divine authority conflicts with valet de chambre authority, one must follow divine authority first. Gentlemen, I am your grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a great obedience to God than to you and as long as I black market breath and have my faculties I shall never stop practicing philosophy (Apology). He feels he has a duty, as a philosopher, to constantly question and examining the world around him to find answers, since his professed ignorance frees him from pretending he already knows verbalize answers. all of these arguments comment heavily on the charges against Socrates in essence, people hated his inquisitive and argumentation, as well as the perception that he was insulting those whom he was interrogating. Socrates lamented the focus on material wealth and power, at the expense of e schewing internecine exploration and philosophy. Are you not ashamed that you put on your attention to acquiring as much money as come-at-able, and similarly with reputation and honor, and give no attention or thought to truth and understanding and the ideal of your soul? (Apology).Here, he is condemning his audience (and the people of Athens) for not on the job(p) toward the greatest good, which is the study of self and the world around them this is the reason for his interrogating, and the very thing they are punishing him for. If he has to be irritating and maddening to his peers, so be it he give not stop until he improves the lives of the people he lives with, and all day long I will never cease to settle here, there and everywhere, rousing, persuading, and reproving every one of you (Apology 30e). This is a bold statement that proves his use of his defense to educate the people of Athens as to their own problems.In his second speech, after the jury voted guilty, He pr ovided his version of penalty that he thinks he deserves. Obvious there could be a better way to persuade the jury, unfortunately it is not how Socrates wants it to down. He keeps denying the penalty and showed no respect to the jury. The conclusion to his action is Socrates knows the life he will have will never be the same, and if the life is not turn out as he wanted, then it is not worth to living. He believes what he does is the best life for human being, and he was tried to teach the audiences a lesson.He notes that it might have been possible for him to save his life by begging the courts favor and appealing to them. However, he did not do this this was not out of ignorance or ineffectiveness in his approach, but he wanted to be honest and truthful about his opinions namely, that the jury and those who were charging him were afraid of his criticism. To Socrates, it is better to die as an honest man who is unafraid of his convictions than to live having sacrificed them. Beca use of that, he wants to make an object lesson of himself to the jury, proving a life lived honestly is one which brings greater peace.In his final argument, when the jury votes to execute Socrates, he regarding his impending death plays into his central thesis. harmonize to Socrates, there are two kinds of death death as radioactive decay (you go to sleep and feel and experience nothing more) and death as transmigration (where you have a soul which goes somewhere else). Definition is defended by Socrates the annihilation should be looked forward to like you would finally going to sleep, and transmigration would simply bequeath him to talk to other great figures like Homer and Odysseus and learn from their wisdom.once more he use this argument to reiterate his central idea, such as people think they know about death but they actually not, and people needs keep examining, questioning, until the end of their life. In the end, Socrates even wishing his enemy well he feels that, if you are a good man, you have nothing to fear in the life or the afterlife. He does not begrudge or hate his accusers and merely wishes to teach others to place the human good over the materialism and that corrupting his peers.His last words are, Well, now it is time to be off, I to die and you to live but which of us has the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God (42a). After all Socrates is one of the best philosophers in the human history, unfortunate he is fail to edifying the most people in his age, the method of his is full of satirize, harsh, and direct to the highly sensitive position of peoples mind, it may solve the problem, but come with huge consequence. However, he understood it, he knows what he have down, may someday bring him to the trial even death, the determination of him pursue the goodness is unparalleled.Even many people thought his ideas is incomprehensible, and he said in the text that he is not a good citizen, shut up he is as good as a human bein g can be. After I read the Crito, his death sentence, to him, was the unfortunate but understandable result of living in a society that oversaw its peers. scorn his innocence, and the belief that the Athenian government was in desperate need of change, he still abided by its rules he believed that one can change the system from within, but you must still adhere to the decisions that society makes.In conclusion, Socrates defense at the trial, portrayed in Platos Apology, was simply another syllabus by which he sustain his philosophies about the virtue of thinking, self-improvement, and acting as a part of a greater whole of civilization. He was penalize and put to death for asking too many questions and corrupting the young, when in fact he was simply wishing to point out the ignorance of his peers (which he also shares).The principle of Socratic irony, wherein people are most philosophical when they admit they know nothing, was something that Socrates was trying to get other peop le to admit despite their professed knowledge, they truly were ignorant, and so they were learning nothing by not reconciling this attitude. While the trial did not save his life, Socrates did not care his intent was to show people the true meaning of living a human life, as well as demand greater mental testing of themselves.