Since I first learned about him in a Freshman Philosophy class, I have always thought of the great Socrates as nothing more than a pompous ass, who thought he was better than everyone else, and yet would feign ignorance when approached by a member of authority. For example, in "The Apology" when Socrates is being asked why he thinks that he is the wisest of all men, he explains that it was the oracle of Delphi that told him that he was the wisest man in the land, thus putting the blame on the oracle to cover his ass.
As much as I dislike his methods and question his philosophical ideas, I have to give him credit for the way he used the trial to his advantage. Socrates flipped the meaning of the trial; what was suppose to be the conviction of an atheist who corrupted the minds of Athen's youth, turned into the martydom of the greatest philosophical mind Athen's had ever seen. The trial worked in his favor, allowing him to express his views to the public, and showing that Athen's system of justice being declared by majority rule, was in fact wrong.
This is how I feel about the distinguished philosopher. He was a manipulative person who would cover his ass when in trouble, yet was a genius when it came to swaying the publics opinion of him. I now ask you, aside from all the material that gets into how great of a philosopher he was, "how do you feel about Socrates?"
Zachary -
ReplyDeleteLet me preface my response by saying that I am most definitely pro-Socrates.
The reading by Plato was my first real exposure to Socrates, and upon reading it I definitely concur with your statements basically saying that he was arrogant. I however assert that arrogance is not a crime. Put yourself in Socrates' shoes: imagine if you were super smart among a ton of average people....would you not try and find some type of academic stimulation? It is a shame that there were not any philosophers at the time that could rival his prowess.
Additionally, I feel that the charges brought against him were bogus. I think that everyone has a right to question religion, as well as present academic arguments/philosophies that the institution of religion is worth nothing. (On the other hand it is perfectly fine to advocate your religion through faith-based arguments) In the end, these things are mere personal opinions, and you should not be sentenced to death for them.
To tie the issue of free speech/Socrates to current events, I kind of find parallels between Socrates and the director of the Anti-Muslim film that has been sparking a lot of controversy lately. Not because Socrates hated anyone or caused mass riots and destruction, but because both of their ideas have certainly come under much scrutiny and bring into question the principles of free speech (even though obviously this idea of free speech was not in existence during Socrates' lifetime).
I would have to agree with Arnold in that I am also a Socrates fan.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Socrates may come off to be a “pompous ass,” I believe that he has reason to be. He was clearly the wisest and most intelligent man in his day in being revolutionary and challenging the norms in the manner that he did. I believe that he, and every other revolutionist in history deserves respect for these actions. I certainly would not be shrewd enough to notice an explicit problem with, let alone challenge a societal norm, and I’m sure almost all of us are in the same boat.
In going back to the notion of putting yourself in Socrates’ shoes, imagine clearly being more intelligent than everyone around to the extent that Socrates was. I believe that all of us, in attending the University of Michigan and thinking of ourselves as “the leaders and the best” (an arguably arrogant statement in itself) contain some level of conceit. I will admit that I thought this when compared with some of the kids that I saw in high school, and I think that most of us, as much as we wouldn’t like to admit it, feel this way to some extent. And the distance between our less gifted peers and us is not even close to the separation Socrates had.
I realize that this argument is a haughty one in itself, but I can see where Socrates is coming from and defend his ideology and actions.
I agree with you that Socrates is arrogant. However, I believe that Socrates is less arrogant then the citizens and authority of Athens.
ReplyDeleteStating that his more intelligent than all of the men in Athens is a very arrogant statement. At the same time, it is a fact that Socrates is philosopher and writer and not a regular citizen of Athens. I believe that even though his statement is arrogant - it is true. Socrates states that he is the wisest not because he has so much knowledge but because he is aware that there is so much he does not know. The citizens and authority of Athens are more arrogant than Socrates because they assume that their beliefs are correct despite the fact they may not have a foundation for these beliefs.
I believe that the opposition faced Socrates is a result of Socrates challenging Athenian norms at the time. It is a result of Athenian authority trying to maintain their position in society and a fear of new ideas emerging within society. This type of conservatism exists at the University of Michigan as well. I feel that the phrase "Leaders of the Best" implies that we are already the best therefore, we don't have to innovate or create anything new. One of the reasons why I joined student government is because I believe that the University can continually improve.
Zachary,
ReplyDeleteI think most people if not everyone would agree that Socrates was completely arrogant, but I love reading about Socrates and commend his ideology. Some people might not agree with this, but I think he had a right to be an ass and I respect and understand the way he lived out his life. Furthermore, obviously we now live in a society that has given us the right to speak freely, but I think the charges against Socrates were unjust and I think a persons feelings or opinions do not constitute the penalty of death. He was an extremely intelligent man who believed everyone could do better and he put his life on the line to challenge the world. Ultimately, I disagree with your feelings and thoughts about Socrates, but at the same time I applaud you for being so bold about what you believe, despite all the criticism and critique you will most likely receive from this post. Socrates was a leader who wasn’t afraid to go against the norm and he wasn’t scared to admit that there is so much he doesn’t know despite him claiming that he is the most intelligent man in Athens. To be honest, if I were in Socrates shoes I do not think I would have had the courage to face the opposition and I believe his teachings were so paramount that they will live on for generations to come.
I definitely agree with your argument that Socrates was effective in using the trial to his advantage. I think that he also used the trial to make a point and to attempt to show the citizens how flawed their trials are. I don't exactly view Socrates as negatively as you do, but I do agree that he was manipulative and may have thought a little too much of himself. However, I think that his intelligence and wisdom outweighed the negatives and what may come off as rude and obnoxious is actually just his way of trying to make his arguments.
ReplyDelete