Socrates :: essays research papers

Socrates     Socrates, as known by Renault, was a beautiful creature. Not physicallybeautiful, only if internally and fundamentally beautiful. It was he who tellWhen you strike the show of any virtue, you open a credit account, which one dayyou will have to meet or go broke (pp. 398). According to Renault, Socratestaught children warrant of charge. He often walked and talked with children andyoung men in the market. They discussed, or more accurately argued in a calmmanner, various issues ranging from the sciences to religion. Socrates, however,usually avoided the subject of political sympathies whenever possible. Socrates believedhis role in life was to teach a new understanding of virtues, it was thesevirtues that revolved around much of the controversies. The citizens thoughtthat Socrates poisoned the minds of children. Causing them to lose respect forparents and elders. It was said that he did not believe in conventional godseither. This is shown by Stry mon on pp. 181 and 182, "I imagine the in your owncircle of friends, what we have perceive is nothing out of the way. Where theteacher (Socrates) does not even worship the immortal gods, but sets the asidefor his new divinities, one can hardly expect in the pupil much reverence forage and kinship in mere men." Parents blamed the lack of respect for elders onSocrates. In truth Renault says that he was only giving them guidance so thatthey may guide themselves and be free of petty problems. This guidance andadvice caused these young men to re-think their attitudes. Indeed Alexias,Xenophon, and especially Plato were all changed by Socrates. They lovedSocrates like a mother or father pp. 392, "In a word," said Xenophon, "We lovehim." This love for Socrates was often misinterpreted as love existence lost forfamily, through argument. Parents were so afraid of losing children to him theymade laws. One law stated that Socrates could not speak to anyone under thirt yyears of age. Socrates defied this law, and was not punished. thus far after awhile all his defiances and warnings caught up with him. He was given thechoice of banishment or death. He chose death. Many of his students wanted tofree him, but Socrates made the choice against it. In the end Socrates isholding the glass of Hemlock saying farewell with his students, and friends.     According to The Encyclopedia, Socrates was born around 470 BC and diedaround 399 BC. He greatly impacted Western Philosophy through his influence onPlato. Socrates was born in Athens the son of a sculptor.