Preview

Why Do Socrates Believe Cheaters And Bullies Do What They Do Good

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
224 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Do Socrates Believe Cheaters And Bullies Do What They Do Good
Socrates believed those who make mistakes do not know any better, meaning he would believe cheaters and bullies do what they do because they have no way of knowing it’s wrong. According to Socrates, “He who knows what good is will do good.” If bullies and cheaters knew what was good, they would do the right thing and decide against pestering others and being dishonest. If Socrates dealt with bullies and cheaters, he would have thought they do not know any better because they have poor reasoning skills. Adding to this, Socrates thought “...no one could possibly be happy if they acted against their better judgement.” (Sophie's World, pg 70) If a bully or an academic cheater realized they were going against their better judgement, there is no

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Plato’s Apology Socrates is not really apologizing. He is not sorry for his actions, he is defending them. Socrates forms his argument as more of a conversation than a formal speech. This is because he is not familiar with the way that the courts of the law work, so he will speak the way he is used to speaking. Socrates explains that his behavior came from being told that he is the wisest of all men by the oracle Delphi. He decides that since he is ignorant to things that most men have knowledge of, he must be the wisest because he knows nothing. He decides that it is his duty to question all of the other men to uncover their ignorance and lack of wisdom. The younger people like this, but the men being questioned hate him for this.…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates does not in fact tell his associates anything, but rather helps them understand ideas that were already in them through his series of questions that test whether what his associate says is of truth or not, and so he is not actually giving any knowledge. In the Meno, he shows an example of what he does when he attempts to “bring forth” geometry knowledge from a Greek slave boy. The boy answers some questions incorrectly at first before stating that he does not know. Socrates then continues to ask the boy more questions, and as the boy answers them, he comes to understand it without Socrates ever actually telling the boy anything at all. Socrates then states that “Then he will have knowledge without being taught by anyone but only questioned, since he will have recovered the knowledge from inside himself” (Meno, 85c-85d). He is saying that the boy is able to gain knowledge from Socrates asking him multiple questions about it constantly, and it will come forth within his associates, without him actually telling them anything at all. He also elaborates on this type of wisdom that he has in the Apology, saying “I thought this man seemed wise to many people, and especially to himself, but wasn’t. Then I tried to show him that he thought himself wise, but wasn’t.” (Apology, 21c-21e). Here, Socrates is stating that he has no knowledge, but rather questions the ideas of his associates to help them become more wise. This also showcases the type of wisdom that he does possess, which is knowing that he does not know…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The only argument that I would change or modify would be the argument about retaliatory harm. Perhaps instead of saying that one should never engage in retaliatory harm, it could say that one should never harm someone else, if the harm was unintentional. Socrates might disagree with my opinion and say that there is no harm that is unintentional and that his statement about retaliatory harm is correct. In some lights, Socrates statement is correct. For example, when someone accidentally trips you while going down the stairs, you shouldn’t trip them in return. It clearly was an accident, so Socrates’ statement does follow this example. In contrast, not all harm is unintentional. An important example that proves that all harm is not unintentional is the example of serial killers. Obviously, none of their murders were an accident. They planned all of their murders and it didn’t just accidentally…

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are numerous charges against Socrates in the reading of The Apology. The basic charges against him include impiety, corrupting the youth, and theorizing about unknown topics. He does not believe in the gods that the state does, and therefore seeks for natural explanations to processes that occur in the world around him. He did not recognize the gods and introduced other new divinities. Socrates was charged with corrupting the youth. Due to the constant asking of questions and inquiry, it lead him to try to discover new things about life. Since he looked for natural reason, he began to teach others about his understandings. His followers soon began to imitate his methods and expose other people as unwise which was a threat to the order…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Socrates believed that his purpose, as a moral individual, was to achieve true wisdom of virtue and justice. With this considered, one may ask, "Then why did he accept punishment for crimes he didn't commit?" Socrates didn't care for fate, because he was only concerned for whether or not he and others were doing the right thing. This belief is shown to be evident when Socrates says, "You are sadly mistaken, fellow, if you suppose that a man with even a grain of self-respect should reckon up the risks of living or dying, rather than simply consider, whenever he does something, whether his actions are just or unjust, the deeds of a good man or a bad one." (Defence of Socrates, 28a).…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, Socrates is an outsider, so even though he preaches many philosophical ideas, he did not grow up with many of the teachings and stories that all Athenians grew up with, potentially causing a difference in their original values. Also, Socrates can be viewed as out of place in Athens because he is not like most other Athenian citizens –by constantly challenging others beliefs, he is attempting to bring the people of Athens out of place with him. Next, Athens is in a state of ruin, coming off a lost war with Sparta which caused the citizens to question many of their ideals and the stability of the state to become fragile. Socrates questioning the citizens on their ideals only adds to the fragility of the state, pushing it closer to a state of crisis. In the play Oresteia, Athena warns the Athenians to be weary of internal threats. During the Apology, Socrates is called and can be viewed as an internal threat, jeopardizing the safety of other Athenians and drawing on their fear to start an uprising against the government. Socrates also shows the virtue of arrogance in Plato’s piece, choosing his punishment to be free meals at the public’s expense which is more like a reward instead of choosing an actual punishment. By his arrogant actions, Socrates is actually harming wisdom because he refuses to listen to the views of other…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Apology by Plato, Socrates defends himself against the accusations claiming that he corrupts the youth with his teachings. As a Philosopher, or in the context of the text, a juror, or a judge , it is important think critically and logically when examining arguments from both sides of the conflict. One of Socrates’ arguments against the charges brought upon him for corrupting the youth is this: “For if I am really corrupting the youth, and have corrupted some of them already, those of them who have grown up and have become sensible that I gave them bad advice in the days of their youth should come forward as accusers and take their revenge” (Plato). Here, Socrates is making a valid and sound argument refuting his accusations, and although there could be other factors that make his argument false, the argument still resonates with me as sound.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    • 1. In the Apology, Socrates recounts how he disobeyed the unjust order of the Thirty Tyrants to arrest a fellow citizen; he also claims that he will never stop philosophizing, regardless of what the legally constituted political authority commands. Yet, in the Crito, Socrates provides numerous arguments for obeying the decision of the legally constituted political authority, even though the decision (to put Socrates to death) was unjust. Critically assess whether Socrates’s view about political obligation in the two texts is consistent.…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates was a man of distinction and a man with strong ideas on how to make a more perfect society. Although a lot of his ideas conflict with his ability to be just or unjust it does not in his mind. Being just or unjust is a major topic in the book and there are many different ways of being both. Socrates used the terms, not necessarily the way we would normally use the term today, but parts of his depiction made sense. He said a lot of different things could be considered unjust. For example not doing what you were Destined to do or what you are best at is considered unjust in his mind.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Through his constant questioning, torpedo fishing, and gadfly-like behavior, his intentions all were pure, and his actions helped the city to be active and to realize what they don’t know and begin to search for it. Socrates was not a bad person, he acted the way he did because he thought that was the way he should act. “For Socrates, the science of good and bad is simply the science of what condition is naturally, objectively, and actually the ideal condition for a human being.” (Ibid, 171). (Graham 40).…

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates is a well know philosopher, who has given his opinion in many topics including the one about evil. Socrate's perspective on the nature of human evil is that morality is a term that refers to the creation of and to follow the rules that govern human behavior on the basis of some idea of right and wrong. Even though you might have a different concept of morality, to him it must help humans to be able to tell wrong from right. Socrates believed that nobody chooses to do wrong knowing that they are doing the wrong thing. He has always thought that if you do wrong somehow you are doing something harmful to yourself and that no one ever has wanted to hurt themselves in no way. To him because people are ignorant, is the reason why they do the wrong thing instead of the right thing. This means that it is impossible for a…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates’ starts his defense by stating that all he will do is speak the truth and not waste time telling stories. “So they, as I say, have said little or nothing true, while from me you will hear the whole truth—but by Zeus, men of Athens, not beautifully spoken speeches like theirs” (46). He also does not refer to the people who brought the charges on him by name, only by “accusers”. Socrates also states later that he knows he is not well liked in the city because he has trapped nearly everyone, including most of the jury in a philosophical conundrum. For me the fact that Socrates does not know who is accusers are and that he is being…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Platos Apology

    • 540 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Even though Socrates is proven guilty he has no regrets. He believes he did nothing wrong and is happy to share his knowledge with people. Socrates says, “is not to avoid death but to avoid unrighteousness.”(168-169) In this he is saying he is not upset about dying and he did the right in life. Again he shows this is true when he says, “I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner of life.”(163) He’s saying again he did the right thing and rather die than not have shared his knowledge and be a wise man. Socrates makes it clear he did the right thing in life, at least what he thinks the right thing is. He wants to help people in his life and succeeded in doing so, so he is not afraid of death. He is smart and wise and wants to keep teaching his knowledge. He states this when he says “ You will not easily find another like me, and therefore I advise you to spare me.”(110-111) Socrates makes it clear teaching his believes was obviously not a crime and has no regrets of doing so.…

    • 540 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates Unjust Analysis

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Socrates, one of the greatest minds go Ancient Greece’s was no exception. As a sophist, Socrates was considered a teacher of the noble. Sophist of Greed taught young men ’arete’: excellence or virtue for a price. However, Socrates wasn’t a regular sophist, he never accepted any monetary reward for his ’teachings“ (b316,p813) and he never actually taught anything but rather trained minds to think. Socrates states at the trail that he doesn’t have any true knowledge and he believed that in order to have any true knowledge one must be able to produce a single, clear definition of a subject without any exclusions to the rule, something that he was never able believed that he couldn’t do.Rather than use he own opinions to teach his pupils what to think, Socrates used ”systematic questioning“ (b136p813) to help clear their own minds and reach their own conclusions just by thinking. A skill that they could carry forward, into their lives as Athenian citizens. With this in mind, it is nearly impossible for the Athenians government to find Socrates guilty of…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Socrates Wrong

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For these accusations, he was claimed to be corrupting the minds of the youth. He was put into trial and was given the chance to defend himself to all the accusations pressed against him. I do not believe Socrates…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays