Essay on Socrates One of the Greatest Minds the World Has...

Inspiring. Enigmatic. Stubborn. Insightful. Truly one of the greatest minds the world has ever known was the philosopher, Socrates. Yet next to nothing is known for certain about him. This is because he didn’t bother to write any of his musings or teachings. However, most of what we know about Socrates today comes to us from the works of Socrates’ student, Plato. It is through many of his works that the ethical theories of Socrates can be learned and his methods known. WHO WAS HE? Socrates was a devoted student of human nature and human motives. As such, he was a passionate political commentator. The problem with this, of course, was that during that time, it could land one in jail, or worse, yet, dead. â€Å"The States are as the men are;†¦show more content†¦In addition, he never charged for his lectures, though most philosophers of his day did. It would seem that Socrates was something of a rebel as well. He was firmly opposed to the democratic administration at the time, which made him controversial in a political sense. Many parents of the students that Socrates lectured did not like their children learning such bizarre concepts and philosophies (Socrates: The Examiner, 2002). Of course, what happened, as could be predicted, was that his popularity with the younger Athenians was assured. To go to a lecture by Socrates was to thumb one’s nose at the establishment a bit. Eventually, he was charged with ‘corrupting the yout h’ and of interfering with religious practices, and in 399BC he was executed (Socrates: The Examiner, 2002). Many scholars at first tried to place Socrates in with the group of teachers of that era known as Sophists. But upon a closer look, Socrates departed from their philosophies by a wide margin. Socrates believed that there was such a thing as absolute morality whereas the sophists believed that morality was in the eyes of the beholder and to whom the action was perpetrated. WHAT DID HE BELIEVE? In Plato’s depiction of Socrates, the philosopher has extended conversations and arguments with various (fictitious) students, statesmen, and friends, with most of the endgame results being an attainment of virtue. Part of the reason that he was so disliked by the establishmentShow MoreRelatedSocrates And St. Augustines Views On Death1305 Words   |  6 Pagestoday’s population, it is feared in the utmost regard. Our materialistic views and constant desertion of religious ideals has forced our society to view death as an ultimate end. Socrates and St. Augustine’s views on death differ from many views on the subject in 2017, however, for their time, these men had the power to influence a plethora of individuals with their theories. 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