Sunday, December 29, 2019

Defense of Socrates Essay - 1590 Words

Defense of Socrates There are times in every mans life where our actions and beliefs collide—these collisions are known as contradictions. There are endless instances in which we are so determined to make a point that we resort to using absurd overstatements, demeaning language, and false accusations in our arguments. This tendency to contradict ourselves often questions our character and morals. Similarly, in The Trial of Socrates (Plato’s Apology), Meletus’ fallacies in reason and his eventual mistake of contradicting himself will clear the accusations placed on Socrates. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates is not guilty of corrupting the youth with the idea of not believing in the Gods but of teaching the youth to think for†¦show more content†¦Socrates begins by asking Meletus if he thinks that Socrates has corrupted the young by â€Å"teach[ing] them not to acknowledge the gods which the state acknowledges, but some other new divinities,† and Meletus agree s that this is the reason for his accusation. However, Meletus further states that Socrates is a complete â€Å"atheist,† meaning that he does not believe in god at all. This inconsistency in Meletus’ answers refute the entire accusation that Socrates is an atheist because Meletus already has established that Socrates teaches â€Å"other men to acknowledge some gods, and therefore that [he] does believe in gods, and [is] not an entire atheist.† This can also be presented as an argument in which our first premise is (P1) that Atheists do not believe in Gods, our second premise is that (P2) Socrates believes in God, and our conclusion therefore is that (C) Socrates is not an Atheist. This logically proves that Meletus is incorrect in his reasoning and that Socrates is not guilty of teaching the youth not to believe in Gods as a whole, but has only attempted to broaden their minds by introducing them to divinities outside of the state. A final argument that we can make in defense of this thesis is that Socrates does believe in Gods, which would refute any reason for him to corrupt the youth with atheistic ideas. Socrates begins by asking a series of question: â€Å"Did ever man, Meletus, believe in the existence ofShow MoreRelatedDefense of Socrates1888 Words   |  8 PagesApology: Defence Of Socrates By: Gregory Klima Apology Defense Of Socrates Plato s The Apology is an account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with the following 1) Not recognizing the gods recognized by the state 2) Corrupting the youth of Athens For the most part, Socrates spoke in a very plain, conversational manner, as one would speak to a friend or lecture a child. He explained that he has no experience with courts and demeanor that comes with , heRead MoreDefense on Socrates Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesDefense on Socrates There are times in every mans life where our actions and beliefs collideÂâ€"these collisions are known as contradictions. 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