Why was Socrates not afraid of death?
Socrates ultimately does not fear death because of his innocence, he believes that death is not feared because it may be one of the greatest blessings of the soul. For a person such as Socrates that has lived virtuously there no reason for them to fear death.
Why did Socrates want to accept the death sentence?
The first reason Socrates gives for accepting his death sentence is the fact that Athens has provided him with education. (Crito page 15) Although Socrates thinks this is a just reason, Plato would disagree because Socrates could have become corrupted and bad without proper education.
Why did Socrates choose death?
Why did Socrates choose death over exile? In Plato’s, The Trials and Death of Socrates, Socrates is the ultimate cause of his own death because of not conforming to the democracy of the Athenians and corrupting the young. Socrates was a wise philosopher of his time and was in search of the truth, rather than believing in the Athenians Gods.
What was Socrates view of death?
Socrates replied that it was because of the immortality of the soul that death was no evil. The purpose of philosophy was to free the soul by guiding it to the eternal truths, and so when death came, it was a liberation. The body, he asserted, was a messy pit of passions and rude cravings.
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Why is Socrates willing to accept death?
The first reason Socrates gives for accepting his death sentence is the fact that Athens has provided him with education. (Crito page 15) Although Socrates thinks this is a just reason, Plato would disagree because Socrates could have become corrupted and bad without proper education.
Why does Socrates go willingly to his death and refuse to escape?
In order for him to prove his innocence, that he does believe in the gods and is setting a good example he must stay and die in prison. He shows he believes in the gods by following and keeping his oath. He sets a good example by showing that he is willing to obey the laws no matter the consequence.
What was Socrates ultimate fate?
Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to death. Choosing not to flee, he spent his final days in the company of his friends before drinking the executioner's cup of poisonous hemlock.
How did Socrates react to his death?
But before I quote the passage, here is the context: well before Socrates is forced to drink the hemlock, his followers are already mourning his impending death, and Socrates reacts to their sadness by telling them that the only thing that would be worth mourning is not his death but the death of the conversation he ...
What happens to Socrates at the end of the apology?
The Apology ends with the speech in which Socrates utters a prophetic warning to his judges concerning the verdict that history will pronounce upon them for the actions they have taken in condemning him to death.
Why did Socrates believe it was the right time for him to die?
The reasons he gave in support of his decisions were many: 1. He did not want to create an impression that he was afraid of death. 2.
How did Socrates die?
The archon was surprised by his audacity but eventually sentenced him to death by drinking poison. Socrates who strongly believed in the righteousness of his actions, continued to defend himself even in his death. Despite being presented an opportunity to escape the prison, the sophist declined to flee.
What did Socrates discover when he tried to prove the oracle wrong?
Confounded by the absurdity of the reply, Socrates decided to prove the oracle wrong and ventured on the quest to find out the wisest man in the entire land. He met several statesmen, poets, and artisans in his pursuit but the only truth he realized was that all these proclaimed intellectuals actually possessed no intelligence.
Why was Socrates put to trial?
As he was the only one who was aware of his lack of wisdom , he was indeed the wisest among all men who were intoxicated by a false sense of intelligence. The public humiliation caused to the wise people of Athens whom Socrates had interviewed during his quest was the reason he was put to trial.
What was the impact of Socrates's inquiring mind on Athens?
By this time Socrates had earned quite a reputation among the elite in Athens. He questioned those in authority and the beliefs that had been propagated through the centuries. His inquiring mind was instrumental in forming the basis of Western philosophy.
Why did Socrates stand up?
Despite being counseled otherwise, Socrates decided to stand up against the prevailing norms of politics and society.
What were the failures of the democratic government?
The failures of the democratic government had sowed the seeds of doubts in the minds of the common man , who began pondering if such a political ideology was befitting for the country. Entire Greece had to bear the brunt of the Peloponnesian War but Athens was struggling the most. It was never able to restore its fallen pride ...
Why was Socrates' execution delayed?
His execution was delayed for 30 days due to a religious festival, during which the philosopher’s distraught friends tried unsuccessfully to convince him to escape from Athens.
What was Socrates accused of?
Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to death. Choosing not to flee, he spent his final days in the company of his friends before drinking the executioner’s cup of poisonous hemlock.
What was Socrates' role in the Peloponnesian War?
Socrates avoided political involvement where he could and counted friends on all sides of the fierce power struggles following the end of the Peloponnesian War. In 406 B.C. his name was drawn to serve in Athens’ assembly, or ekklesia, one of the three branches of ancient Greek democracy known as demokratia. Socrates became the lone opponent of an illegal proposal to try a group of Athens’ top generals for failing to recover their dead from a battle against Sparta (the generals were executed once Socrates’ assembly service ended). Three years later, when a tyrannical Athenian government ordered Socrates to participate in the arrest and execution of Leon of Salamis, he refused—an act of civil disobedience that Martin Luther King, Jr. would cite in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
Why was Plato condemned?
Although some historians suggest that there may have been political machinations behind the trial, he was condemned on the basis of his thought and teaching. In his “The Apology of Socrates,” Plato recounts him mounting a spirited defense of his virtue before the jury but calmly accepting their verdict.
What did Socrates cut in Athens?
Although many of Aristophanes’ criticisms seem unfair, Socrates cut a strange figure in Athens, going about barefoot, long-haired and unwashed in a society with incredibly refined standards of beauty. It didn’t help that he was by all accounts physically ugly, with an upturned nose and bulging eyes. Despite his intellect and connections, he rejected the sort of fame and power that Athenians were expected to strive for. His lifestyle—and eventually his death—embodied his spirit of questioning every assumption about virtue, wisdom and the good life.
What was Socrates' name drawn to?
In 406 B.C. his name was drawn to serve in Athens’ assembly, or ekklesia, one of the three branches of ancient Greek democracy known as demokratia.
Where was Socrates born?
Socrates was born and lived nearly his entire life in Athens. His father Sophroniscus was a stonemason and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife. As a youth, he showed an appetite for learning. Plato describes him eagerly acquiring the writings of the leading contemporary philosopher Anaxagoras and says he was taught rhetoric by Aspasia, the talented mistress of the great Athenian leader Pericles.
What did Socrates fail to reify?
The failure to reify these Platonic Ideas leaves Socrates no other choice but to accept his fate. Socrates continues this idea of the moral conscience with his own dedication to philosophy, understanding that to remain silent and to pursue something other than his will would be worse than death itself.
What did Socrates say in his apology?
In the Apology, he says, “Men of Athens, I am grateful and I am your friend, but I will obey the God rather than you, and as long as I draw breath and am able, I shall not cease to practice philosophy” (Plato 34).
What punishment did Socrates commit?
Socrates is sentenced to death but those who have committed the greater crime are condemned to a life of metaphysical damnation, a psychological penalty as never to avoid the feeling, once considered, of having done so ill. The forms of justice as present within the individual conscience must guide us toward the action of what is right and true.
Why can't Socrates compromise?
In this way, Socrates cannot compromise on his own moral conscience for understanding that he would be going against his faith. In ethics and philosophy this becomes the only acceptable motivation for the individual or sage alike, because to compromise in moments of peril would be to believe in nothing at all.
What is the metaphysical ethic in Socrates?
For clearly it would be repugnant to the very essence of his moral conscience, the metaphysical ethic imbued by nature itself, instilled within Socrates’ conduct and ideas. This is the first inculcation of the Platonic forms, as Socrates knowledge seems to be derived from the nature of ideas, instilled within the metaphysics of nature itself.
What is the prophecy of eternal retribution?
The next and most interesting, as stated in the prophecy, is that of an eternal retribution, inflicted upon the jurors for use of ill judgment, a punishment inflicted on one’s own conscience, and a message to all those who may defy justice henceforth.
Does Socrates fear death?
Additionally, Socrates does not fear death, conceiving that by which he knows not, can be neither good nor bad, for it is possible death remains the final good, for which all men can at once be free.
Why did Socrates pass away?
In 399 BCE, Socrates passed away after he was sentenced to death by the Athenians. He was charged with ‘corrupting’ the youth and heresy.
How did the world come to know about Socrates?
How the world came to know about Socrates. Socrates was a very peculiar Greek philosopher in the sense that he never wrote down any thoughts of his . He simply spoke out his mind and engaged in intellectual discussions with his followers.
How many dialogues did Plato use?
With such innovative techniques of writing, Plato was able to use about 36 different dialogues to convey Socratic thoughts and philosophies to the public. Most notable of such dialogues are the Crito, the Apology, Symposium and the Phaedo (Platonic Socrates text).
How does Socratic philosophy differ from its predecessors?
Socratic philosophy sharply differs from its predecessors because it searches for a universal truth. Unlike the sophists, Socrates believed that the law (nomos) never changes. The ideals (FORMS) of justice, beauty, bravery, and honesty remain unchanged.
What is Socrates' childhood?
The lack of proper chronicles and autobiography makes it difficult for historians to accurately give details about Socrates’ childhood. What is however known is that, Socrates came from a relatively poor family. His father was a stonemason that went by the name Sophroniscus. Socrates’ mother was Phaenarete- a diligent and hardworking midwife. As a result of his family’s financial hardships, Socrates could not obtain any formal education. He ended up assisting his father at his workshop.
What did Socrates think of the best form of philosophy?
Also, Socrates believed that the best form of philosophy is one that probes deep and questions the things in this world.
What was Socrates' father's name?
His father was a stonemason that went by the name Sophroniscus. Socrates’ mother was Phaenarete- a diligent and hardworking midwife. As a result of his family’s financial hardships, Socrates could not obtain any formal education. He ended up assisting his father at his workshop.
Why did Socrates accept the death penalty?
Socrates was imprisoned and essentially forced to recant his beliefs. In light of this, Socrates believed that, in order to remain true to his beliefs, he should receive, and would accept, the death penalty. His conviction was so resolute in his beliefs that to deny them would be a worse fate than death. He writes his book outlining his core ...
Did Socrates have a death wish?
It's not so much that Socrates wanted to be executed; he didn't have a death wish, or anything. It's just that he'd lived his whole life in Athens, always abided by its laws and so naturally thought it would be... (The entire section contains 4 answers and 616 words.)
Why did Socrates want to be sentenced to death?
Stone argued that Socrates wanted to be sentenced to death, to justify his philosophic opposition to the Athenian democracy of that time, and because, as a man, he saw that old age would be an unpleasant time for him.
What was Socrates guilty of?
Assuming a jury of 501, this would imply that he was convicted by a majority of 280 against 221. Having been found guilty of corruption and impiety, Socrates and the prosecutor suggested sentences for the punishment of his crimes against the city-state of Athens.
What did Plato say about Socrates' defence at trial?
In the Apology of Socrates (36a–b), about Socrates's defence at trial, Plato said that if just 30 of the votes had been otherwise, then Socrates would have been acquitted (36a), and that (perhaps) less than three-fifths of the jury voted against him (36b).
Why did Socrates accept the guilty verdict?
In the introduction to his play Socrates on Trial (2007), Andrew Irvine claimed that because of his loyalty to Athenian democracy, Socrates willingly accepted the guilty verdict voted by the jurors at his trial:
How long did Socrates stay with Alcibiades?
Socrates remained Alcibiades' close friend, admirer, and mentor for about five or six years. During his career, Alcibiades famously defected to Sparta, Athens' arch-enemy, after being summoned to trial, then to Persia after being caught in an affair with the wife of his benefactor (the King of Sparta).
How many judges voted guilty in the Socrates case?
Five judges voted guilty and five judges voted not guilty. Limiting themselves to the facts of the case against Socrates, the judges did not consider any sentence, but the judges who voted the philosopher guilty said that they would not have considered the death penalty for him.
What was the death sentence of Socrates?
The death sentence of Socrates was the legal consequence of asking politico-philosophic questions of his students, which resulted in the two accusations of moral corruption and impiety. At trial, the majority of the dikasts (male-citizen jurors chosen by lot) voted to convict him of the two charges; then, consistent with common legal practice voted ...
What did Socrates believe about life after death?
He speculated that our soul, which could be understood as our conscious mind minus the body, proceeds to the spiritual world of Hades. In this other world, souls from different parts of history would spend their days learning, thinking, ...
What does Socrates say about death?
Socrates argues that we ought to face our own end in the same manner. For him, there is no reason to fear death because it is one of two things: 1 The entrance to an afterlife; or 2 Dreamless sleep.
Why did Plato say Socrates was happy?
In his final moments, Plato said that Socrates was happy. When the poison stopped his heart, he died unafraid. Socrates argues that we ought to face our own end in the same manner. For him, there is no reason to fear death because it is one of two things: The entrance to an afterlife; or. Dreamless sleep.
What did Socrates drink when he was executed?
he executioner handed him a cup of poison brewed from hemlock. Socrates, accepting a fate that Athenian authorities forced upon him, drank every last sip. Afterward, he walked around the room while his friends agonized over the coming of death.
Why did Socrates advocate inquiry and debate?
This is why Socrates advocates that inquiry and debate into our understanding of things is the most worthwhile activity we can do alive. His premise is that you get to keep your mind forever, so it should be sharp before it gets Hades. Of course, Socrates himself understands that he has no way of proving this idealized version of the afterlife.
Why is Socrates' state of existence preferable?
Socrates says that this state of existence is preferable because we would no longer be slaves to our bodily needs. A great deal of suffering is derived from when we cannot eat, drink, or rest whenever our physical selves require.
Who said "If on the other hand death is a removal from here to some other place"?
“If on the other hand death is a removal from here to some other place, and if what we are told is true, that all the dead are there, what greater blessing could there be than this, gentlemen? — Socrates in Plato’s Apology ”
