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Text available at http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html
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Guidance questions (but your journals do not have to be limited to answering them)
1. What is in common among politicians, poets and craftsmen according to Socrates?
2. Why Socrates thinks he is wiser than them?
3. What does Socrates consider as his contribution to Athens?
Nathalis Lopez
ReplyDeletePhilosophy 100-141
August 28, 2010.
Apology By Plato
Apology by Plato is a story about a man named Socrates who was being accused by politicians, poets, and craftsmen for corrupting and acknowledge some youths believe about a different god and not the one the city where they live which was Athens believe in. Socrates believe that he was a wiser, and that no one else will be wiser than him, also the world has decided that Socrates was in some way superior to any other men. Socrates also believe that god create him as a wiser and that god will not created anybody else wiser than him. During the court Socrates was accuse of corrupting youth and teaching them bad religious manners, he defend himself but wasn’t enough because the court found him guilty.
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ReplyDeleteRita Babkin
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
Plato is said to be the wisest man ever by the public, however he remains humble and does not admit that. He feels that people that he conversed with knew nothing because they boasted about knowing everything, and he himself claimed he knew nothing. Wisdom has to do with knowledge, the desire to learn and neglect for materialistic objects. Plato made a lot of enemies because he questioned their wisdom and bluntly told them that they knew nothing, so they began to hate him. Sometimes the people that Plato came across appeared to be wise, but they were not because their pride overshadowed the wisdom that they claimed to have possessed. Plato enjoyed telling people that they do not possess wisdom. Everything that we do not need, especially in today’s world, objects that are not needed but rather wanted, corrupt the youth. Just like Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth with his words. Today’s media and pop culture does just that by advertising materialistic objects such as clothes, cars, money and so on .. “The life which is unexamined is not worth living,” if only people in today’s world gave this quote some thought. There are people who live their lives on the surface, in the shallow end of the water, by the shore, they never analyze any situations, they don’t look deeply into their souls, they don’t ask themselves or others any questions that will include looking into one’s own soul, they don’t think that there is a reason for certain occurrences. Life consists of many hardships, but if people only took the time to sit down and think, reason and understand each other and themselves, the world would be a much better place.
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ReplyDeleteUsman Shahid
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
In the story, an old man named Socrates who is in his seventies has been accused of brainwashing some of the younger generation of Athens into thinking that their is a different God. His ideas differed from the ones currently living in the city. He's being held in court for all of these accusations, as well as bringing his own philosophy and point of view of life. He knows that he is wise and the wisest one of them all, but he doesn't not show any arrogance. Instead, he stays modest and humble.The youths of Athens really admire Socrates because he proves the men that are supposedly "wise" in the city not wise, which really fires the men up. But sadly, he dies at the end, because he chooses death for himself.
Murad Alhidami
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story Plato, Apology i come to realize that Socrates had way to much pride. Going against the politicians, poets, and most of Athens believes. Socrates was a very smart man who i believe was very wise but trying to change the beliefs of the city was far out his reach. He was help accountable in court because the government felt that the people who were living in Athens at the time who change their whole idea about God. in my opinion even if you think your idea in God is correct you should follow your idea on your own and those who choose to follow you will come on their own. Plato is trying to go against a religion who is already established. After reading Nathalis Lopez comment it gave me a better understanding of what Socrates was going up against.
in plato apology, Plato is being accused of corrupting the minds of the youth in Athens.He is also being accused of calling all the men of stature in athens society of being not wise, in his search for a wise man more wiser than himself he found out that these"wise men" who are their to show and be an example for the younger generation to follow are only after things of the world and making it seems it is for a better cause. when he was sentence to death he ask that his accusers look into them selves and seek virtue and wisdom instead of the interests of the state. he also asked that they punish his sons if they pretend to be something they are not or care about riches instead of being virtuous. i think that Socrates at age 70 see that the best way to live is to put away the things of the world, believe in one true GOD,be humble, have virtue and seek wisdom
ReplyDeleteSaleem Javaid
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
After reading apology by Plato, it crossed my mind that Socrates in this text was portrayed by the public as a very wise, and intelligent man. The government portrayed him as inferior to society and was the source of all wrong when it got into religion. In my opinion, Socrates may have been one of the wisest men who lived his time, and the sad part is his wisdom went to waste. In my opinion, Socrates moral about god and whats right from wrong could've been salvaged if there were more people willing to defend his philosophy about government, and there teachings from whats right and whats wrong. I believe I understand that government in his time is similar to government in our time. NOT EVERYONE TELLS THE TRUTH! For those who are in power are the ones who control the societies mind, and the way they think, and for those who are weak, poor, and have no political power; their thoughts and morals will never be heard, and will be lost whether it would have been a positive impact on the world or not.
Shaunice C. Hayes
ReplyDeletesection 141
The Apology was about a man named Socrates who appeared to be very intelligent. In my view I don't think that he tried to corrupt the youth in his society in anyway, but he tried to teach the people around him about his beliefs. If that was what Socrates was taught then that is all he knows and nothing will change his view. His thoughts probably were very bias also. He felt poets and politicians were basically a waste because there writings taught him nothing, "ignorant" was the word he used.
Khadeeja Richardson
ReplyDeletesection 141
this passage was about a man named socrates. To me he seemed to have give the youth thing to think about. i dont think he was trying to corrupt them but rather share his beliefs with them.i dont think what he was doing is any different then what people try and do now. Everyone may believe in a different god and they try to make others believe in the same. but i guess during this time that wasnt ok
Apology by Plato is about a man named Socrates who is on trial due to falls accusation of misleading people with falls knowledge about god. Socrates decides to take on each accusation one by one to prove his innocent. Socrates believed that god made him to be the wisest of all man. He challenged an oracles word to find someone wiser than him. He went to three of the wisest men he knew, the politicians, craftsmen and artist. He found out they were not wiser than him. In truth they knew things he didn't and taught him somethings too but still wasn't wiser than him. He tried to explain to them that are not wise by knowledge but by the way society treats them. Instead Socrates made many enemies with the three. He was called misleading of the youth. Socrates didn't let his accusers change who he was or what his opinion on god was.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Socrates, In the passage politicians,poets,dithyrambic and all sorts were not wise.He believed that they did not attain wisdom from improving themselves and gaining excessive knowledge.He thought that poets wrote their own poetry not based on wisdom but by genius tendencies and inspiration. While politicians and craftsmen are wise but still fell in the same category as poets. Their work overshadowed their widsom.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, Socrates thought he was wiser than all because of his dedication to God. He believed that God was using him as the perfect example of what God himself truly is "WISE". Socrates also thought that all others did was pretend to be good examiners, when really they knew nothing. As a result he made it his duty to challenge other wise men to satisfy his own beliefs that he was the better person for the title.
On the other hand, Socrates considered his contribution to the Athens as not enough, due to the fact that he was found quilty. He believed he wouldn't be the person he was, if he didnt take the approach he did with his teaching. He didnt see himself as wrong and argued that the time alotted was too short to persuade the Athens.
Cesar Herrera
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
To me the story Apology by Plato that depicts a story of man by the name of Socrates on trial for corrupting the youth and feeding false knowledge to Athens. Socrates proclaimed he was the wisest man around. That poets, politicians, and craftsmen may be wise but not wiser than himself. In my eyes I don't believe he was corrupting anyone I think he was opening their eyes to another way of seeing things. Even if he was wrong he should be allowed to show everyone especially the youth a new way of believing in God.
Jessica Morgan
ReplyDeletePhilosophy Section 141
Apology by Plato is about the deception and hatred towards one man who is blamed for his modest opinions and facts of men and their actions. Socrates states that his accusers have unjustly sentenced, trailed, and convicted him of a crime that was based on opinions of him more than of facts of his actions. Socrates trial was one based on jealousy and hatred for a man who was crowned as the common day "chosen one". His non believers plagued him as an evil do-err because they didn’t find truth in what Socrates spoke. He was wise to most yet to himself he was ordinary. I think that the verdict of guilty and the sentencing to death was not of those of his piers but of those who didn’t want men like Socrates to preach his wisdom. One quote from the text that I believe sums up the actions of everyone is ‘’ the easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves’’ . I think this was Socrates way of accepting his death and yet being able to still fault his accusers.
Kevin Granados
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
The story of apology by Plato is about Socrates who was a great thinker/philosopher. During the period that he was alive, the general public's mindset was very close-minded and simple. Therefore the fact that Socrates usually thought outside the box and questioned certain issues that no one else of his time dared to, he faced social and political challenges. Socrates was a man with vast knowledge and compared himself to others such as politicians, poets and craftsmen. He believed that their knowledge was profound because of the talents they possessed, but in Socrates point of view they did not possessed the wisdom he had. The reason Socrates believed he was wiser than others is because of his faith in God. Socrates believed that his purpose on Earth was to be wise and share the knowledge with others who were willing to accept and he also challenged other "wise" men to reassure himself that he was truly the wisest man. In my opinion I think the idea of Socrates believing that he is the wisest man on Earth shows that he is a person who possesses grand confidence. Also his character shows that he has absolute faith in his beliefs and words. Socrates considered his contributions to Athens as cut-short because of the fact he was found guilty he could not share his knowledge completely with the people of Athens. Socrates may have been misunderstood by the general public of Athens during his time but the fact that his wisdom, confidence and courage gave him the ability to question and think creatively made him a remarkable human being.
Chih Hao Hsu
ReplyDeletePHI 100-141
After reading "Apology" by Plato, i thought about the study of Philosophy which we talked about in class. The idea where purpose and the actions of daily life represent one’s life was quite evident in the character Socrates. From the very beginning of the trial, Socrates kept his cool and went on to defend his name and actions. In his defense, Socrates stated that he would not cry or ply for his life and in no way would he reconcile for his actions. In my own point of view, I see Socrates as a very stubborn man. Even when he was given the death sentence, he would go on to say that instead death, it would be more appropriate to give him a reward for he has done right by his people and state. But even though Socrates was stubborn and arrogant, he kept to his philosophy and his believes which correspond to the idea where purpose and daily actions make up one’s life and philosophy.
The article Apology by Plato is mainly about Socrates stating that he is being accused of being a corrupted and a deciever. He is being accused of decieving the young people by making them believe that he's the wisest man around and of taking their money. In this article he states that they are all lying and that he is not the one decieving the public but there are some out there that are. He also says that he does not believe that he is the wisest. He just speaks what it's on his mind. He believes that he is not as skillful with words to persuade people. According to the oracle Socrates was the wisest man around.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Apology" i found the way in which he defended himself was very eloquent, in the fact that his mere acknowledgment to his own ignorance made him more intelligent that all the men who were deemed by society as the most wise (politicians, poets, and craftsmen.) Socrates was accused as using his knowledge for corruption and deception. However, he provides examples for how this is untrue. Comparing his speech to that of his accusers as being less articulate and less prepared making his words, words of truth and from the heart. Therefore more pure, without deceitful intent. Almost as if he is not wise enough to carry out the actions he was being accused of.
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