Plato and Socrates Relentless Question - 1274 Words

Socrates knew the trial brought onto him by three citizens of Athens was not just and the official accusations of corrupting the youth and impiety are not the true reasons for the trial. He was put to death because of his method of challenging others in the search for wisdom and knowledge. Socrates was given the opportunity to defend himself and choose not to beg for his life but praise his life and to honor his mission. He opposed the charges by a cross-examination of the people who put him on trial to show they had not put enough thought into their claims. Socrates downfall, was that he made his defense in the same method he spent his life work by making many wealthy and powerful people reveal their own ignorance and lack of†¦show more content†¦Socrates discovered that men of good repute were not wise in their moral values and were foolish., while those of lesser means were more knowledgeable. The argument here is that Socrates earned a poor reputation because he pub licly exposed the wealthy men of Athens in their ignorance and lack of knowledge. This inquisition led Socrates to have many enemies. (Apology, 3) During the trial Socrates referred several times to the force of truth. He is implying that he wants Athenians to accept logical conclusions even if they may not want to. Socrates also claims that obsession with wealth and material things must never take precedence over the care of ones soul. Socrates challenges their values and asks if they are not ashamed of their eagerness to possess wealth, honor, and reputation and caring little about wisdom and truth and enriching their souls? Socrates is attempting to reveal to the jury that the soul is forever and is more important then physical obsession. Furthermore, he says that this is the command of God and that my service to you is to show you that Im here to improve your soul. (Apology, 6) Wealth and prestige, for most Athenians, was very important and hearing these claims and the c ommands from god further fueled the anger against Socrates. Later he identifies himself as a gadfly sent by god to awaken and arouse the people and to show them the way to enlightment and improve their soul. To prove his mission that he was given by god, heShow MoreRelatedPlatos The Apology Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pageshardly spoken a word of truth.† – Plato â€Å"The Apology† In â€Å"The Apology,† Socrates represents himself in his own trial. He boldly questions the morality of the people of court. In this report, I will be analyzing portions of â€Å"The Apology† in order to reveal the intellectuality of this text within this time frame. I will only discuss bits of â€Å"The Apologyâ€Å" on account that it is a lengthy piece. However, before discussing the speech it is important to set the scene. Socrates was born in 469 B.C.E. and livedRead MoreSocrates Vs. 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