Platos Apology Of Socrates Essay Example for Free

Platos Apology Of Socrates Essay INTRODUCTION Plato makes it clear, especially in his Apology of Socrates, that he was one of Socrates’ devoted young followers. In that dialogue, Socrates is presented as mentioning Plato by name as one of those youths close enough to him to have been corrupted, if he were in fact guilty of corrupting the youth,[1] and questioning why their fathers and brothers did not step forward to testify against him if he was indeed guilty of such a crime. The relationship between Plato and Socrates is not unproblematic. The charges against Socrates says that he has two sets of accusations: the old, longstanding charges that he is a criminal, a busybody, and a curious person who makes inquiries into the earth and sky, and the recent legal charges that he is guilty of corrupting the young, and of believing in supernatural things of his own invention instead of the gods recognized by the State.[2] Which he terms as charges stemmed from years of gossip and prejudice against him and hence was unanswerable. The trial of Socrates is the central, unifying event of the great Platonic dialogues.   The causes that occasioned this Apology were as follow: Aristophanes, at the instigation of Mellitus, undertook, in his comedy of the clouds, to ridicule the venerable character of Socrates, on the stage; and the way being once open to calumny and defamation, the fickle and licentious populace paid no reverence to the philosopher, whom they had before regarded as a being of a superior order.[3] When this had succeeded, Melitus stood forth to criminate him, together with Anytus and Lycon; and the philosopher was summoned before the tribunal of the Five Hundred. He was accused of making innovations in the religion of his country, and corrupting the youth. However, as both these accusations must have been obviously false to an unprejudiced tribunal, the accusers relied for the success of their cause on perjured witnesses, and the envy of the judges, whose ignorance would readily yield to misrepresentation, and be influenced and guided by false eloquence and fraudulent arts. In the Apology, Socrates tries to dismiss rumors that he is a sophist and defends himself against charges of disbelief in the gods and corruption of the young. Socrates insists that long-standing slander will be the real cause of his demise, and says the legal charges are essentially false. Socrates famously denies being wise, and explains how his life as a philosopher was launched by the oracle at Delphi. He says that his quest to resolve the riddle of the oracle put him at odds with his fellow man, and that this is the reason he has been mistaken for a menace to the city-state of Athens. THE APOLOGY of SOCRATES Socrates begins by saying he does not know if the men of Athens (his jury) translation often says â€Å"gentlemen,† have been persuaded by his accusers.[4] Plato often begins his Socratic dialogues with words that indicate the overall idea of the dialogue; in this case, I do not know. Indeed, in the Apology Socrates will suggest that philosophy consists entirely of a sincere admission of ignorance, and that whatever wisdom he has, comes from his knowledge that he knows nothing. Socrates asks the jury to judge him not by his oratorical skills, but by the truth. Socrates says he will not use ornate words and phrases that are carefully arranged, but will speak the chance thoughts that come into his head. I know not, O Athenians, how my accusers may affect you: I indeed have through them almost forgotten myself, so persuasively have they spoken; though, as I may say, they have not asserted any thing, which is true. However, among the multitude of their false assertions I am most surprised at this, in which they say that you ought to beware of being deceived by me, as if I were an eloquent speaker. For that, they should not be ashamed of asserting that which I will immediately confute in reality, since in the present instance I shall appear to you to be by no means eloquent, this seems to me to be the consummation of impudence; unless they call him eloquent who speaks the truth. The three men who brought the charges against Socrates were Anytus, son of a prominent Athenian, Anthemion. Anytus makes an important cameo appearance in Meno. Anytus appears unexpectedly while Socrates and Meno are discussing the acquisition of virtue. Having taken the position that virtue cannot be taught, Socrates adduces as evidence for this that many prominent Athenians have produced son’s inferior to themselves. Socrates says this, and then proceeds to name names, including Pericles and Thucydides. Anytus becomes very offended, and warns Socrates that running people down could get him into trouble someday. Meletus, the only accuser to speak during Socrates’ defense. He is mentioned in another dialog, Euthyphro, but does not appear in person. Socrates says there that Meletus is a young unknown with hooknose. In the Apology, Meletus allows himself to be cross-examined by Socrates and stumbles into a trap. Apparently not paying attention to the very charges he is bringing, he accuses Socrates of atheism and apparently, of believing in demi-gods. Lycon, about whom little is known; he was, according to Socrates, a representative of the orators. O Athenian, I should answer the first false accusations of me, and my first accusers, Socrates claims to never have been a teacher, in the sense of imparting knowledge to others. He cannot therefore be held responsible if any citizen turns bad. If he has corrupted anyone, why have they not come forward to be witnesses? Alternatively, if they do not realize that they have been corrupted, why have their relatives not stepped forward on their behalf? Many relatives of the young men associated with him, Socrates points out, are presently in the courtroom to support him.[5] For many have been accusers of me to you for many years, and who have asserted nothing true, of whom I am more afraid than of Anytus and his accomplices, though these indeed are powerful in persuading; but those are still more so, who having been conversant with many of you from infancy, have persuaded you, and accused me falsely.[6] For they have said, that there is one Socrates, a wise man, studious of things on high, and exploring every thing under the earth, and of believing in supernatural things of his own invention instead of the gods recognized by the State. These men, O Athenians, who spread this report, are my dire accusers. For those who hear it think that such as investigate these things do not believe that there are gods.[7] In the next place, these accusers are numerous, and have accused me for a long time. They also said these things to you in that age in which you would most readily believe them, some of you being boys and lads; and they accused me quietly, no one speaking in my defence. Such however, as have persuaded you by employing envy and calumny, together with those who being persuaded themselves have persuaded others. Consider, therefore, as I have said, that my accusers are twofold, some having accused me lately, and others formerly; and think that it is necessary I should answer the latter of these first; for you also have heard these my accusers, and much more than you have those by whom I have been recently accused. Be it so. I must defend myself then, O Athenians, and endeavor in this so short a space of time to remove from you the calumny that you have so long entertained. I wish, therefore, that this defence may effect something better both for you and me, and that it may contribute to some more important end. I think however that it will be attended with difficulty, and I am not entirely ignorant what the difficulty is. At the same time let this terminate as Divinity pleases. It is my business to obey the law, and to make my apology.[8] Conclusion Socrates concludes this part of the Apology by reminding the jurors that he will not resort to the usual emotive tricks and arguments. He will not break down in tears, nor will he produce his three sons in the hope of swaying the jurors. He does not fear death; nor will he act in a way contrary to his religious duty. He will rely solely on sound argument and the truth to present his case.[9]Socrates punishment speech angered the jurors. 360 of them voted for the death penalty; only 141 voted for a fine of 3,000 drachmae. Now Socrates has to respond to the verdict. He first addresses those who voted for death. He claims that it is not a lack of arguments that has resulted in his condemnation, but rather his unwillingness to stoop to the usual emotive appeals expected of any defendant facing death. Again, he insists that the prospect of death does not absolve one from following the path of goodness and truth. To those who voted for his acquittal, Socrates gives them encouragement: He says that his daimon did not stop him from conducting his defence in the way that he did as a sign that it was the right thing to do. Therefore, death must be a blessing. It is either an annihilation (thus bringing eternal peace from all worries, and therefore not something to be truly afraid of) or a migration to another place to meet souls of famous people such as Hesiod and Homer and heroes like Odysseus. With these, Socrates can continue his task of questioning. Bibliography Leo Strauss. Socrates and Aristophanic. New York, 1966. [1] Pp 82-2 [2] Pp83- 2 [3] Pp 84-1 [4] Pp 82-2 [5]pp143-1 [6] Pp 138-2 [7] Pp 84-2 [8] Pp 180-2 [9] Pp163-4

George Orwells The Lion and the Unicorn Essay Example for Free

George Orwells The Lion and the Unicorn Essay George Orwell, the author of The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius, wrote this essay during the British leadership crisis in the beginnings of World War II. Wanting to unify the English, he reminds them of their past and how it makes them stand out as a nation. While writing to the elite intellectuals, he also worked to unify the middle and working classes. He writes to the English people to relate to them through maintaining their tradition, culture, and faith in the government by using culture and customs that both are familiar to and will unite the country. In this way, he reminds the people that although they may be different they all live in the same country. Though Orwell strongly was against some of the things his country did, he believed he always had a duty to her. Many people thought he was anti-war and military, but, in fact, he said he would always fight for his country no matter what the battle. He even tried reenlisting on September 9th, 1939 (Rossi, p128). To fully understand the content, knowledge of Orwells personal history, Britains history, customs and culture are necessities. At this time, Britain was about to go into war. Germany and Italy had led their countries by dictators and totalitarianism. Orwell hated totalitarianism because it supported the intellectuals and upper class. He also did not see much of a difference between fascism and capitalism. He believed that both gave too much power to too few and that would corrupt the English. Orwells goal was not only to educate and bring together Britains people, but almost threaten the intellectuals. He tries to show England that they are unique in comparison to other countries because they do not need communism, capitalism, or fascism. About England he says, the beer is bitterer, the coins are heavier, the grass is greener†¦ mild knobby faces, their bad teeth, and gentle manners, are different from a European crowd (Orwell p57). In this quotation, Orwell explains to his fellow countrymen what makes them English and why they should be proud. He wanted to join them nationally into socialism because the people are in the fields and the streets, in the factories and the armed forces, in the four ale bar and suburban back garden (Orwell p 59). He told the Partisan Review in January 1941 that the bulk of the middle class are just as anti-Hitler as the working class, and their morale is probably more reliable (Rossi p128). He wanted to make the point  that the middle class was essential in the changing England. Historians use The Lion and the Unicorn as a great source to show what a cross road England was at before the war. It is also a source as to the beginnings of socialism in mid-twentieth century Britain. England had so many different directions to go and not many intellectuals agreed on just one. Orwell was often compared to two other socialists, William Morris and H.G. Wells. Orwell often had conflicts with H.G. Wells who wrote such novels as War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man. Wells was also considered a socialist claiming democracy to be inefficient. Wells believes that putting power in the hands of the ignorant lower class would be a disaster. He also thought nationalism was unrealistic because no country could be independently powerful. Their biggest difference was Orwell believed that man would evolve better by law whereas Wells believed he would improve by science and technology (Partington p50). Orwell and William Morris show more similarities to each other. Morris, a poet and artist, is one of the fathers of socialism in England and lived in the nineteenth century. He is best known for his works The Wood Beyond the World and The Well at the Worlds End. Many historians believe his ideas are parallel to Orwells because they both write romantically about their country and the liberty and justice of it (Vaninskaya p19). Orwells main purpose in writing The Lion and the Unicorn is to convince the people the importance of a social revolution. Orwells work is used in reference to the history of socialism, patriotism, and nationalism. Today parts of socialism, capitalism, communism, and fascism are all still thriving. Even though socialism doesnt run Britain, it did bring about a lot of changes. Because of it Britain has public healthcare, housing for the poor and affordable universities for the working class. Many people feel that Orwells arguments were empty and accomplished nothing, but they cannot deny the results of socialist democratic influence. He believed the only way to accomplish this was an England united by a deep sense of patriotism. Bibliography: Orwell, George. The Lion and the Unicorn; Socialism and the English Genius London 1941Partington, S. John. The Pen as Sword: George  Orwell, H.G. Wells and Journalistic Parricide Journal of Contemporary January 01, 2004, Vol. 39 Number 1 p45-56, 12pRossi, John P. George Orwells Concept of Patriotism. Spring 2001, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p128, 5pVaninskaya, Anna. The bugle of justice: the romantic socialism of William Morris and George Orwell. Contemporary Justice Review, March 2005, Vol. 8 Number 1 p7-23, 17p

Effects of Level of Nutrition on Milk Yield and Composition

Effects of Level of Nutrition on Milk Yield and Composition Effects of Level of Nutrition on Milk Yield and Composition of Cows Fed Natural Grazing and Offered Different Supplements, in South Kordofan, Sudan ABSTRACT: Three feed ingredients that were locally used as supplements and fed to dairy cattle were offered to three groups of dairy cows while one group was considered as control and left on the natural grazing only and another one was offered a ration formulated to meet maintenance and production requirements. Milk quantity and its composition were monitored for 40 days. The results showed that supplementation of cows with 1.5 kg of any feed ingredient resulted in increment of milk production compared with those left on the natural grazing alone. Supplementation with oil seed cakes or cotton seeds was better as supplements than sorghum grains in promoting milk production. The highest performance was achieved with the group was fed 1.0 kg of formulated ration. The milk yield increased linearly (p

The Victory of Banquo in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Free Essay Writer

The Victory of Banquo in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   The audience sees in Shakespeare's Macbeth that the one who ends up victorious, the one whose family will provide kings for the kingdom, is the innocent, spiritually inclined Banquo. It is he about whom this essay will deal.    In Shakespeare and Tragedy John Bayley discusses Banquo shortly before his murder:    [. . .] like Banquo, who, in the tense hour before the murder, expresses in more forceful form the idea of evil speculation and possibility as ranging in the mind:    Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose. II.i.7-9    At such a moment the activities of the mind become almost palpable and express themselves in bodily form, as they do in the other two mind tragedies. In the speech which he imagines the thoughts that may come to him when he goes to rest, Banquo hands his sword to his son Fleance, and then - with a dream-like precision - hands over his belt with its dagger too:    Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. (188-89)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, discusses how fear enters the life of Banquo with the murder of Duncan and his two attendants:    And as Lady Macbeth is helped from the room, we see fear working in the others. Banquo admits that fears and scruples shake them all, even while he proclaims his enmity to treason. But Banquo fears rightly the anger or hatred of the Macbeth who has power to do him harm. (222)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare comment that Banquo is a force of good in the play, set in opposition to Macbeth:    Banquo, the loyal soldier, praying for restraint against evil thoughts which enter his mind as they had entered Macbeth's, but which work no evil there, is set over against Macbeth, as virtue is set over against disloyalty.   (792)    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye explains the rationale behind Banquo's ghost in this play:    Except for the episode of Hercules leaving Antony, where mysterious music is heard again, there is nothing really supernatural in Shakespeare's tragedies that is not connected with the murder of the order-figures.

My Dad :: Personal Narrative Profile

Personal Narrative- My Dad Oh my god, I thought this day would never come. He'll be all right, I hope? Why him, why not some one else? On the far southwest corner of the ranch the cool wind whispered through the tall cotton wood trees, forcing me to feel helpless. Time was winding down and I was to. Indescribable hot sweats came over me, my knees began to buckle. I heard my dads voice say, "I'm a goner" echo through the dust cloud that my jittery feet were creating. He was never wrong, in my opinion, but I wanted him to be so badly. I said a prayer and we said, "I love you" for the last time. The ambulance putted up the road barley cleaning it while I sat and watched my daddy slip away, in front of my eyes. Suffocating and fading fast he looked right at me and I thought I had lost my best friend forever. After many years of hard labor as a mechanic, my dad developed bone spurs in his upper spine at the age of 51. Pain was involved in his everyday life but never stopped him from taking care of his family. Although he could still maintain the ranch, he lost an asset that we loved, and that was throwing a ball here and there. After a while it took control of his life and he wasn't able to do anything. A family discussion was held, options flew here and there, finally a verdict. He would get the surgery, and be back and happy in no time. While making this decision there were things we had talked about. Such as what would we do if we lost you? In addition, is it a safe surgery? It was a touchy subject but we had to talk about it. The doctor told us he had never had a death and that it was a common operation. This made my mom and I feel a wee bit more comfortable until the day of surgery. He couldn't eat or drink certain things, no painkillers, and was even told to think about happy things. These precautions were taken to lessen the chance of a problem during surgery smaller. The next week flew by quickly and during that week my family spent every moment together like it was our last. My dad and I threw the ball, just like old times, even though it hurt him.

Marketing :: essays research papers

Rockford Register Star Sunday, March 27, 2005 Business Section, Page 4C Hyundai, Kia shift gears to pass competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this article, the Rockford Register Star discusses the most recent marketing changes in the Korean owned auto companies of Kia and Hyundai. The Korean cars are the second fastest growing car brand in America, trailing behind BMW. Kia and Hyundai had only two car models in 1999; and as of 2005 there are nine. They have announced their â€Å"24/7† plan that they say they will introduce seven new cars in the next twenty-four months. They plan to introduce and promote a new line of cars in the United States that appeal to the budget of everyone. They have lower end cheaper sedan cars and higher end luxury style sedans that may be a little more expensive that compare with that of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. The new line also included a sporty vehicle that will appeal to that of a gear-head teen who desires more power which ensuring a focus on safety with six air bags and the normal equipment that is standard on modern cars. (ABS, Electronic Stability Co ntrol, CD/Stereo, etc). Kia and Hyundai promises that their cars are reliable and worth the dollar. As said in â€Å"Consumer Reports Magazine†, The Hyundia Sonata was named most reliable car in the 2004 model year. The article states that with the introduction of these new cars and new quality standards, Kia and Hyundai will new competition for Japan’s Big 3 auto companies. The article stated that names Kia and Hyundai are now auto names respected and associated with quality and a standard of safety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article deals with our business class in a sense that Kia and Hyundai are creating cars and marketing them to appeal to all types of people in all ranges of income. These cars will have a reasonable price and yet have the quality of the industry standards. They are marketing these cars with a status of quality and reliability that is now associated with the Korean based auto companies to compete with other auto companies; both domestic and imported vehicles while at the same time offering a variety of styles to appease the desires of a vast group of ages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’ve learned that companies, if they want to be successful, need to market a product to the right people at the rice price. Also, companies need to market a product with a variety of styles to catch the eye of different shoppers.

The Violence Runner

Throughout the history, there have been leaders of good and evil, moral and immoral, peaceful and violent alike. Sometimes, when the evil takes power and misuses it, the staggering impact they entail in the society can be appalling and outrageous. In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Assef is exemplary of an evil leader who misuses his power and stands in the frontlines of crippling Afghanistan and its people into a pitch-black mist of chaos. First of all, Hosseini places Assef under the perfect setting in which the author bestows Assef the opportunity to develop his power as an antagonist in the novel. In the nineteenth century, Hazaras fails to rise against the Pashtuns in Afghanistan, and subsequently, discrimination against the Hazaras becomes prevalent in the society. In this type of environment, Assef naturally gains superiority over the Hazaras as a Pashtun and forms discriminative views and ethnic hatred towards them. It is even understandable for Assef to claim Adolf Hitler, the infamous dictator who relentlessly exterminated millions of Jews and other ethnic groups, to be a great leader, â€Å"a man with vision. (Hosseini, page 40) This is because to Assef, Hitler is his role model; Assef believes that Hazaras should be exterminated from the face of the earth, as he is determined to ask Daoud Khan, the newly president, â€Å"to rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, Kaseef Hazaras. † (Hosseini, page 40) This way, Assef naturally develops his relentlessness and sadism that he fully makes usage out of. His violent mindset against the Hazaras leads him to later join the Taliban, in which he gains the position to freely kill Hazaras without punishment, and relentlessly ties up Afghanistan in a bundle of Taliban laws. As we can see, Assef uses his superiority over the Hazaras that he gains from the society that he lives in, and manipulates it fully to dominate over the ethnic group. To control and frighten them he would often times use violence as his tool. Assef rules the streets of Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul with his notorious savagery and relentless violence. In the streets of the Wazir Akbar Khan, Assef’s â€Å"word is law†, and if the law is broken, then his stainless-steel brass knuckles are used accordingly as a punishment. Hosseini, pag3 38) Here, Hosseini uses stainless-steel brass knuckles as a significant motif throughout the novel, and also a symbol of violence and dominating power. Whenever we see Assef performing violence on somebody, we can observe emergence of his brass knuckles. When Hassan defends Amir against Assef with his slingshot, Assef tells Hassan and Amir, â€Å"this doesn’t end today, believe me. † (Hosseini, page 42) This suggests that Assef is a relentless, merciless and vengeful figure, foreshadowing his later revenge against Hassan and Amir. The brass knuckles appear again towards the end of the novel, when Assef beats Amir miserably with his brass knuckles â€Å"flashing in the afternoon light,† and thus fulfilling his warning and revenge that he had in his childhood. (Hosseini, page 288) These brass knuckles clearly represent physical domination on those who do not have such power; these multiple scenes of the recurring emergence of the brass knuckles suggest that violence is his power, his way to rule. Despite Assef’s unbearable deeds of violence, he holds one power that not everyone has: the power to change one’s life completely. Rape is a significant motif that is used throughout the novel by Assef. The reason why this motif is so crucial is that through rape, Assef destroys one’s integrity, emotional stability and dignity, and fully dominates them both physically and emotionally. Two significant cases would be Hassan’s rape and the other, Sohrab’s rape. By raping Hassan, Assef destroys two individuals: Hassan, who faces emotional trauma and breakdown afterwards, and Amir. Assef raping Hassan is the source of Amir feeling guilty and in remorse of not standing up for Hassan, and eventually leads him to make Hassan leave his family and ends up feeling guilty in his entire life, until he finds Sohrab alive and to redeem himself, plunges himself in the Taliban world to save Sohrab. Clearly, Assef held the key to change both lives. On the other hand, Sohrab’s life is changed dramatically through rape. As a result, Sohrab loses speech ability and feels extremely guilty, as he claims himself to be â€Å"so dirty and full of sin. † (Hosseini, page 319). These two â€Å"lambs†, Hassan and Sohrab, are sacrificed as a result of Assef’s misuse of power. Assef is clearly a violent man who holds the power in The Kite Runner. Assef makes full use of the power that he naturally gains in the society that he lives in, fully develops it and holds the key to change the society dramatically. He is the violence runner, to whom violence is always the solution to problems.