How Does Socrates View Of Death

Even though Socrates was on his deathbed, he was still teaching and arguing with his students. He wanted his students and friends to understand that it was for the good of society that he dies. I believe Socrates was thinking about the future and how his death would be a lesson for someone else. Socrates was also telling his students that he was not going to disobey the law. Socrates’ students and friends could have taken him to another city. That would have made Socrates a liar about what he was teaching all along. Even though the students and friends were crying and grieving over Socrates’ death, Socrates was not comforting them or fleeing to another city. Socrates was just teaching them his strong belief in justice and loyalty to the government. This was very devastating to his friends.

“it is time for me to die, and for you to live- though which of us has the better destiny is unclear to everyone, save only to God.” So with this statement, Socrates seems to contradict himself and admits that nobody really knows whether it is better to be alive than dead. This statement also clearly identifies the fact that he believes in a supreme being so there is no way he could believe that there is no life after death. He in fact several times speaks about how his obedience to his God is of the utmost importance. Essentially this whole argument about death with no after life being a favorable outcome is completely preposterous. He would be abandoning his family, friends and his principles further contradicting

In this reading Plato tells the story of Socrates and his trial which ultimately lead to his death sentence. Socrates was a 70 year old man at peace with his own mortality yet willing to face his accusers with an almost definite possibility of death to maintain his own integrity and beliefs and morality. He fully understood from the beginning of his trial what the sentence handed down would be yet on a level of honor and courage not seen in abundance in modern society he maintained his stance and delivered a compelling and convincing argument. He openly stated that he knew his actions had offended Meletus and

In The Apology of Socrates, Socrates is defending himself in his own trial, supposedly trying to avoid the death penalty for multiple infractions on the city of Athens and its’ society. He argues that the jurors if they were to convict him, that they would be the ones that would be harmed in doing so; not Socrates. This explanation of harm is contrary to many people’s belief of what the judicial system is supposed to accomplish. The role of the judicial system is to punish people for the crimes that they have committed and provided enough of a deterrent, so that the crimes will stop being committed.

Proponents to his decision of allowing his fate could point out that he was not considering the obligation he had towards his children – leaving them by choice is not the right thing to do. Another concern that is apparent is seen in how remaining in prison was the same as Socrates collaborating his own death and voluntarily accepting it, which seems wrong. Proponents would also try to argue that because the citizens committed an injustice to him, he should not have to follow the law and ought to be able to escape. As stated before, this would be an injustice to the laws. Until his demise Socrates did remain as his own moral guidelines and demonstrated his superiority to the law, showing his choice for his intellectual and philosophical way of thinking had in the end

His statement clarifies his reasons for not escaping death. Therefore, Socrates was not clearly right in escaping and would have violated his principles.

This perspective of Socrates represented by Plato demonstrates the difference between a man accused of wrong doings and a man who is being condemned. When Socrates is informed of the final decision by the jury he again keeps his composure and states in his defense speech by emphasizing that he is alright with the way he presented himself instead of begging and pleading. Finally, Socrates tells the jury “that there is hope in death and that he will enter into it with no fear”(Yount). His final request is for the jurymen to make sure that his sons grow up in the right way and praises some of the jurors who voted for his innocence.

Socrates' belief was that he was called on by the Gods to live his life examining others and himself. He believed the necessity of doing what one thinks is right even in the face of universal opposition, and the need to pursue knowledge even when opposed. "I became completely convinced, to the duty of leading the philosophical life by examining myself and others."¹ Socrates believed that to desert this idea was ridiculous and would make his life absurd. Socrates chose to live a life of truth and not to worry about things that did not matter. For Socrates not to live his life by the plans and requests of Gods it would be disobedient and untrue to the Gods. Socrates was brought to court to defend

Socrates takes the death penalty in stride, as a man of almost 70 years he would rather die honorably than waste away in his older years. He claims that he will receive free meals, an honor kept only for athletes who win at the Olympic games.

In 469 B.C. a man by the name of Socrates was born. Socrates was a very wise man that cared about doing the right thing. He believed that the best ways to develop ideas was in the give and take of conversation, and that the best way to educate people was to ask them a series of questions leading in a particular direction (now named “Socrates method). Socrates had been quick to identify the drawbacks of democracy, and he had also been the teacher of two men who in different ways harmed Athens: Alcibiades and Critias. Which made the parents of the children that Socrates had taught very upset and angry. Granting all this, it lead to the Trial of Socrates 399 B.C. During this trial Socrates expressed his view of death by using his question-and-answer method, for which he was famous for and what seemed to have gotten him in trouble. Socrates did not write so we have to depend on on what others wrote, and by doing that we now get to see the diverse ways people read and understand what was written about his speech. My chosen primary source, Socrates View on Death, is important, because it gives one view of Socrates speech while my outside source, Ancient Greece, gives a slightly more in depth view.

Throughout the course of the Phaedo, Socrates argues that the soul is immortal. Because he believes that his soul will live on forever, Socrates claims that he is not afraid to die. Socrates was sentenced to death and due to the fact that he took the poison earlier than when was necessary, many believe that he committed suicide. Contrary to what may be presumed about Socrates’ death, I will argue that he is a martyr and did not commit suicide.

This reinforces the idea that giving up his life is not sacrifice to him. Socrates values the truth, yet he knows that he does not have the truth. Socrates believes that dying is not a consequence for himself, but rather for the people of Athens. They can choose to listen to him now, or wait for someone else to come along again to challenge them. Therefore, Socrates can die, and would rather die because at least he has the chance to continue speaking after his death. To conclude, although Socrates’ death may have been voluntarily, it is not noble.

Even in the face of death Socrates portrayed these values. Socrates treated his own trial with contempt despite the punishment of being put to death. Furthermore, he declined the proposition to stop his ways of examination with the reward of his life. Firstly, he did not accept the plea because he was willing to consider the fact that death may indeed be better than life, again admitting his own ignorance (Apology,516). However, his reason for not accepting the plea was that he believed “a life without enquiry is not worth living” (Apology, 526). Socrates understood that in order to live the good life for himself it could not be done without examination and rational thought.

Socrates is eventually found guilty and is to fight no longer for his innocence, but against a penalty of death. As Socrates speaks to the jury he begins to speak more of the meanings of life opposed to the need for life. He claims, “it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men.. (Cahn pg. Apology39 38a1-4).” Although Socrates never explicitly states why he feels this way, but upon reading this statement and analyzing its context one can grasp a sense of this argument. Socrates is arguing that life is unlived if it is not questioned and our thoughts are not examined. He understands that his wisdom is far greater than that of the jury, and he feels that all other punishments would leave him unhappy and dissatisfied. He would rather suffer death than to go against the laws of the state, although he is being wrongly convicted. He feels he has lived a good life and a true life because he was able to examine himself and others true

Even with the anticipation of death linguring in his path, Socrates remained composed and curious. During his defense, he made it clear that death was nothing to fear, but rather an accepted inevitability of