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Example research essay topic: Youth Of Athens Corrupting The Youth - 1,876 words

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Socrates At the elderly age of seventy, Socrates found himself fighting against an indictment of impiety. He was unsuccessful at trial in the year 399 B. C. The charges were corrupting the youth of Athens, not believing in the traditional gods in whom the city believed, and finally, that he believed in other new divinities. In Plato's Apology, Socrates defends himself against these charges. He claims that the jurors opinions are biased because they had probably all seen Aristophanes comedy The Clouds.

The Socrates portrayed in Aristophanes Clouds is an altogether different character than that of the Apology. The two different impressions of Socrates lead to opposite opinions with regard to his guilt. In The Clouds, Socrates actions provide evidence of his guilt on all three charges. However, in the Apology, Socrates is fairly convincing in defending his innocence on the first two charges, but falls short on the third charge.

Socrates, in The Clouds, is portrayed as an idiot who thinks he is walking on air and is interested primarily in gnats rumps. He is delineated as a natural philosopher / sophist . He is hired to teach Pheidippides to make the worse argument, the argument that is really incorrect and unjust the better his fathers creditors so that Strepsiades, Pheidippides father, will not have to pay his debts. While this in itself is corrupt, it was that he changed Pheidippides from the time he entered Socrates Thinkery into a corrupt scoundrel, completely devoid of morality that was even more deplorable. At the beginning, Pheidippides is a respectful son who loves his father, but after graduating from the Thinkery, he is beating his father with a stick (lines 1321 - 1333). Socrates was so successful in corrupting Pheidippides that he even attempts to justify his behavior using rhetorical techniques learned from Socrates.

In response to his father questioning his actions he claims Yes by God; whats more, Ill prove its right to do south unbeatable arguments. He has obviously been extremely corrupted if he could talk in this manner to his father. Not believing in the traditional gods, which is the second charge fits the Aristophanic Socrates perfectly. Socrates explicitly frowns upon the gods when he exclaims, what do you mean, the gods? In the first place, gods arent legal tender here (lines 247 - 248).

Later, when explaining the elements to Strepsiades, Socrates exclaims, Zeus you say? Do not kid me! Theres no Zeus at all (lines 368 - 369). He is undoubtedly saying that he does not believe in the traditional gods. The claim that Socrates believed in new divinities, the third charge, is clearly seen when he enter (s) into communion with the clouds, who are our deities (lines 253 - 254). Socrates proves methodically how it could not be Zeus who causes phenomena such as rain, thunder, and lightening, but rather is merely the work of the Clouds.

For, if it were indeed the work of Zeus, then he would bring rain in absence of any clouds. The fact that the clouds are always present during precipitation attests to their power as opposed to that of Zeus. As the Clouds were not traditional gods, Socrates guilt on this charge is rather evident. Even as Socrates is presented as a blabbering fool, full of hubris, in the Clouds, an entirely different perspective on this alleged sophist is given to us in the Apology.

Throughout Plato's works including the Clouds, Socrates himself claims not to have any wisdom (he did not have any knowledge of arete) so he could not possibly have been a sophist. In terms of the charges, he seems to absolve himself of the first two charges of corrupting the youth of Athens, and not believing in the traditional gods, though he is less convincing in his claim that he has no allegiance to other gods. Socrates claims he could not possibly be guilty of the first charge for several reasons. He feels the charge arises out of anger towards him for when he applies his Socratic method while questioning others beliefs, it often has the effect of leaving them feeling embarrassed and ridiculed.

However, Socrates maintains that his objective is merely to ascertain the ultimate truths, a noble act for sure. In fact, Socrates believes that the pursuit of truth is the most important work of man. Besides, the youth following is not as a result of recruitment but rather of their own free will (23 cl- 2). In addition, on the actual charge of corrupting the youth, when prodded by him to give an example of these acts, none is forthcoming. They present it in a general sense lacking any specific incidence. Furthermore, it is illogical for one to willingly corrupt ones companions, for if I make one of my associates wicked I run the risk of being harmed by him so that I do such a great evil deliberately, as you say? (25 e 3 - 5).

Socrates further argues that if he truly did corrupt the youth, it may explain why his students did not accuse him of such, but it would not account for the absence of inquiry from their distraught families. If those closely involved have not shown any concern, this is further evidence of his innocence (33 d 1 - 34 e 3). Perhaps, most telling is that Socrates was willing to sacrifice his life for his convictions instead of pleading for clemency by detracting from his views. This shows the high character of Socrates who holds steadfast to his beliefs under even the most trying of circumstances. The second charge of not believing in the traditional gods seems to be a trumped up charge as well.

Socrates tells of his mission to discern the enigmatic statement that Chairephon, his friend, had received from the oracle at Delphi, stating that he is wisest among men (20 e 6 - 22 e 5). The temple at Delphi was a shrine to Apollo, a traditional god. He was impoverished and hated because of it. If Socrates did not believe in the traditional gods, he would not have devoted his life to realize the ultimate truths using his unsurpassed wisdom, which would thereby confirm the claim of the oracle at Delphi. Believing in new divinities, though, the third charge, is perhaps legitimate. Socrates claims to get a divine sign every once in a while and says, whenever it speaks it turns me away from something I am about to do, but it never encourages me to do anything (31 d 2 - 3).

This goes against the prevailing notion that the gods control the behavior of mortals like puppeteers as was often espoused in Greek lore. Rather, those gods are benevolent towards their human subjects. Thus, Socrates seems to have conjured up a new kind of divinity, thereby making him guilty of Meets third charge. Although neither depiction of Socrates is entirely accurate, they each illustrate some guilt on Socrates part. The Aristophanic Socrates is completely guilty while the Platonic Socrates is only guilty on one account. In both works, he probably did not deserve to be condemned to death but more so, in Plato's work it seems that Socrates has wrongfully been put to death.

For an argument can be made that not only was Socrates not guilty of the charges, (at least most of them), but that his pursuit of morality and his view of the gods was invaluable to the society at large. Socrates, himself, speaks out against the charges by saying Socrates does injustice and is meddlesome, by investigating the things under the earth and the heavenly things, and by making the weaker the stronger and by teaching others these things. This is the charge of the old accusers. It is seen from an example in The Clouds. Strepsiades goes to Socrates in order to learn how to persuade his son by making the weaker speech the stronger.

Why does Socrates remind the assembly about the old accusers? It appears improper for a man on trial to bring about his other 'crimes'. Aristophanes, in particular, is implicated by Socrates as an old accuser. For you yourselves used to see these things in the comedy of Aristophanes. The poets helped to shape Greek culture. Philosophy begins in debunking what the city thinks they know in order to refute the god.

It is evident that Socrates is not interested in the gods. Socrates says, It is not part of the same man to believe in devonian and divine things. Socrates is subtly admitting his guilt. Perhaps Socrates believes in gods, but if so, they are not the gods of the city.

Socrates simply denies that he has had any part in celestial or subterranean inquiry - he simply speaks elsewhere. Socrates goes on to say that those who do are reported to be atheists. However, Socrates says, Zeus does not even exist. Socrates replaces Zeus with nature, the permanent and necessary things accessible to reason. This is an outrage to any Athenian. To deny the gods is to deny faith and ultimately the authoritarian opinions on which their politics is based.

Why does Socrates think that he is being unjustly punished? Chaerophon had told Socrates that the Pythian Oracle had said that Socrates was the wisest man. Socrates admits, I am conscious that I am not wise, either much or little. Socrates wonders what the riddle is and sets out to refute the divination. This is a prime example of Socrates' impiousness as is his statement in The Clouds where he states we do not credit Gods.

Socrates, in affirming that he ranked above them in wisdom, because he knew nothing, in fact became the oracles main supporter. It must be noted that Socrates's upper of the citys god is based solely on his 'testing' of the oracle. Socrates accepts the oracles words, not on divine authority but because it passes his test of reason. The hatred of Socrates is extended, as the youth of Athens imitate him and make the elders look foolish by engaging in Socratic dialogue and showing up their ignorance. This led to the charge that Socrates corrupted the youth. This too was added to the impiety charge.

Socrates says that the youth follow him of their own accord. In any event, one concludes that the Delphi Oracle was a definite turning point in Socrates' life. Perhaps it changes Socrates' interest from the physical and astronomical studies with moral and political thought. This turning point brings Socrates into conflict with the city of Athens. His doubt of the opinions taken on authority also concerned the citys god and the citys laws. That made him dangerous in the eyes of the leaders.

Socrates' thought was a painful sting to the glorified convictions of human conduct that meant so much to the city. For Socrates, being executed was the only option available to him. Bibliography: Aristophanes, Clouds (the plays Birds, Frogs, and Wasps also contain references to Socrates) Plato, The Dialogues of Plato (2 vols. ) (trans. by Benjamin Jowett) (The four dialogues that describe the trial and death of Socrates are the Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo) The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy web The Last Days of Socrates (Plato's Socrates) web


Free research essays on topics related to: apology socrates, socrates believes, corrupting the youth, socrates plato, youth of athens

Research essay sample on Youth Of Athens Corrupting The Youth

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