Athenian democracy Essay

Due to experiencing the volatile state of the Athenian government, it is not surprising that Socrates had much to say on the topic of policy-making philosophy. underlying to his political scheme was his position on how citizens ought to approach ethics and politics. In the Apology, Socrates place demonstrates his belief that citizens moldiness not be complacent when it comes to political virtue. In order to push citizens come to the fore of complacency, Socrates used a mode called the elecnhus to prod citizens to discover the true definition of virtues (Jowett, 2009).In doing this, Socrates hoped to promote a rigorous understanding of tralatitiousisticistic moral virtues an understanding of what courage, goodice, and wisdom, truly meant (Jowett, 2009). At frontmost glance, it seems that Socrates is promoting the penchant of the tralatitious virtues, and is therefore a hidebound. On the contrary, I ordain argue that Socrates conservative rationale serves totally as a diversion from his fundamental intentions. In defending this statement, I will basic outline Socrates conduct and indigences in the Apology.Second, I will present the line of credit for how this behaviour can be interpreted as beingness conservative apply narratives from Crito and The Republic. Lastly, I will argue why this behaviour preferably demonstrates that Socrates was a radical. In the Apology, Plato provides a narrative of Socrates defence for using the elenchus, an unadulterated disbeliefing method, to stir the position of Athenian citizens on handed-down determine (Jowett, 2009). Derived from various arguments in The Apology, Crito, and The Republic, it can be found that Socrates had dickens motives for his conduct.The human being-class motive stems from his notion of emolument in the sacred kingdom, which is derived from his theory of virtue. He held that the best intent for hu human beingss is a life story of virtue, and a life of virtue entailed str iving to comprehend the true essence of determine (Jowett, 2009). The figure of valuing true knowledge was seen to be intrinsically good for citizens, for it adhered to the success of the human instinct (Jowett, 2009). Further, Socrates held that evil in this context was the ignorance of the intrinsic worth of the traditional value, and complacency when it comes to abiding by such determine (Jowett, 2009). at that placefore, Socrates starting time motive for using the elenchus method to stir his fellow citizens, was so that they could abandon their ignorance and beget to obey the true temper of human life, that is a life and reason of virtue (Jowett, 2009). By doing this, citizens would adhere to the true meaning behind traditional determine. The second motive stems from his notion of benefit in the worldly body politic, derived from his theory on laws. When it came to moreoverice, there were multiple versions of what playing justness entailed. For instance, according to Cephalus, it was to abide by your obligation to the city (Plato, 1974, 674).For Polemarchus it was reward and punishment to those who rightfully deserved it (Plato, 1974, 676). However, the Orthodox versions of justness was that it involved simply adhering to the laws (Plato, 1974, 687). era this does contri neverthelesse to a just social arrangement, in that everyone performs the role appropriate to them, it does not address the matters of ethics and law. On that matter, Socrates observed that simply obeying these laws did not automatically entail that the disposition was acting just, this is because laws ar vulner fitting to being unjust (Plato, 1974, 701).This introduced a belief that there exists an essence of justice, such that there is an essential nature of justice and injustice and what a perfectly just and perfectly unjust man would be like (Plato, 1964, 472b). Without knowledge of the essence of justice, individuals would only be acting just by coincidence, for they would not be able to determine whether their actions were just or not (Plato, 1964, 458a). Contri neverthelessing to this argument, Socrates saw that laws, and everything else in the physical world, were elastic (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c).This meant that the laws were defined by whomever was in power at the time in democracy it was the majority, and in tyranny it was the tyrant. Therefore, Socrates held that it was necessary for citizens themselves to comprehend the essence of justice so that they could avoid being slaves to those who managed to hold legal influence at the time (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). Such that those who held legal influence whitethorn be cunning towards the good or essence of justice (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c).Therefore, Socrates second motivation for using the elenchus was in order to promote the valuing of justice, and other traditional values, in hopes that Athenian citizens could identify for themselves the things which adhere to the essence of these values. Accordingly, with these dickens motives in mind, Socrates engaged with the citizens of Athens, invoking them to gesture the traditional Greek values. His mission was to give birth in them a desire to understand the true essence of values, and then to be able to recognize it in the physical world.In response to such conduct, Socrates was accuse of corrupting the youth, and interviewing Greek life, giving rise to the context in The Apology. From the perspective of the Athenian jury, based on his charges, it appeared that Socrates conduct was radical. For the second type of this essay, by using his two motives as a reference, I will now explore the various arguments for why Socrates was not a radical, but instead a conservative. For the purpose of this essay, I will hold that the definition of conservative means the rescue of traditional values. found on his first motive, in order to encourage citizens to abandon their ignorance and begin to virtuously calculate the traditional G reek value, Socrates openly admitted that he had to push citizens to challenge and question these values (Jowett, 2009). It was seen as radical because such questioning of traditional values was seen as insulting and violating these same values (Jowett, 2009). While this may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the result when Socrates concept of the spiritual realm and the forms are introduced.Stemming from his theory of values, Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values existed in a pure and absolute form that could only become cognise through reason (Jowett, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of questioning the traditional values was only in order to stimulate the realization of the true essence of these values. Socrates believed that by doing so, it was the ultimate act of respect to traditional moral values, and the first motive can thus be interpreted as conservative.However, the questioning of traditional values ultimately entailed the questioning of Athe nian laws. While this also may be seen as radicalism, it is clear that this is not the case when Socrates distinguishes the variance among the worldly realm and the spiritual realm. Socrates believed that all traditional Greek values were embodied in a universal law within the spiritual realm, that is above the malleable Athenian law which existed in the physical realm. While Socrates respected and abided by the Athenian law, he was also critical of the nature of such laws.Socrates explains that, because these Athenian laws were malleable to the distribution of political power, these laws were vulnerable to dispute from the traditional values (Plato, 1974, 98, 505c). By promoting the questioning of Athenian laws, Socrates believed that he was preserving the traditional values in the legal system. This traces back to his previous argument, that justice is not simply obeying the law (Plato, 1974, 701). This serves to show that Socrates conduct which encouraged the questioning of At henian law was not radical, but consistent with conservatism.Another piece of take the stand was Socrates response to escaping prison, as seen in Critos. Here Socrates is offered help from his friend Critos, to break off his death execration from the Athenian court, but declines out of his respect for the Athenian law (Gallop, 1997, 36, 45a). This is depicted when Socrates states, I cannot now reject the very principles that I previously adopted, and I respect and honour the same ones I did ahead (Gallop, 1997, 36, 46c).Further, Socrates also embraced the obey or persuade principle, where if a person disagrees with the law, they must systemically change it, or accept and obey it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a). Therefore, Socrates acceptance of his death sentence from the Athenian court is an ultimate submission to preserving the integrity of the justice system. Accordingly, bit Socrates was deemed a radical by the Athenian courts for promoting the questioning of traditional values an d Athenian law, it could be argued that he was actually a conservative who was promoting the appreciation of these values and reinforcing them in Athenian laws.This is defended by the forfeiting of his life in the consult of adhering to the justice system. On the contrary, I will now argue for a different interpretation of these pieces of evidence to show that Socrates was indeed a radical who disguised his intentions under a conservative facade. Radicalism will be case-hardened as the converse of conservativism, which will be defined as promoting political reform and deviation from traditional values. The starting point of this argument is that, succession Socrates condemns disobeying the law for it is analogous to disobeying your parents, he does not say it is wrong sweat to change it (Gallop, 1997, 40, 52a).In alignment with radicalism, Socrates sought to be a throttle of change change in Athens. Although Socrates claimed to be promoting the appreciation of traditional value s, what he actually was doing was promoting a change in the way Athenians appreciated these values. Traditionally, these values were undertaken in order to avoid problems in the physical world (Jowett, 2009). For instance, justice was valued for its ability to maintain order and a functioning society. Socrates promulgate a different reason to pursue traditional values, that is to provide benefit in a spiritual manner (Jowett, 2009).This is reflected in his theory of the individual, where he promoted the discipline of appetite and spirit by reason (Cornford, 1974, 23, 428d). For Socrates, the purpose of disciplining the soul was was to pursue spiritual virtue. This is a deviation in the way traditional values were appreciated in Athens. Rather than easement of courage being pursued to prevent death from arrogance or shame from cowardice, Socrates held that moderation of courage should be pursued in order to promote a virtuous soul.Therefore, it can be argued that Socrates is advoc ating a departure from the physical world to the spiritual world, in the attitude by which Athenians ought to engage traditional values. The depression of a departure from the way in which traditional values are engaged, is depicted in his conversation with Crito. While Socrates states that he is forfeiting his life out of respect for the Athenian law, now that we understand his position on the difference in importance between spiritual and worldly values, the message he is sending can be interpreted differently.There are two points that give rise to this new interpretation. The first is that in Socrates comparison of harming the soul with harming the body, he states that only the individual himself can harm his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 48a). This meant that only by submitting to unvirtuous behaviour, will an individual tarnish his own soul (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). As a result, if Socrates were to escape prison, he would be harming his soul in order to avert physical harm. The second point is that Socrates values the preservation of the soul over the preservation of the body (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a).This is seen when Socrates questions are our lives worth sustenance with a poor or corrupted body? (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47e). Taking these two points into consideration, it is possible to interpret Socrates forfeiting of his life as a mockery of the Athenian legal punishment in order to adhere to his own virtues. The message he is sending is that individuals ought to pursue their interpretation of the traditional values, and in the case where they are punished for it, it will not matter because harming the body is peanut compared to harming the soul.This is again seen in when he states that we should not fear the opinion of the majority, but should only concern ourselves with the opinion of the expert (Gallop, 1997, 37, 47a). Accordingly, while Socrates was sometimes visualised as being conservative for promoting the appreciation of traditional values and for forfeiting his life in the name of the justice system, when his theory of the spiritual and physical realm are introduced, two points show that he is not a conservative. The first point is that he is promoting a deviation in the way traditional values are engaged.The second point is that he encourages other citizens to alter regardless of the physical harm that may be done to them. Based on these two points, I hold that Socrates use of the elenchus to stir Athenians out of complacency is radical. In conclusion, Socrates use of the elenchus was openly accepted to be make by a desire to stir Athenian citizens out of complacency. The question that was the focus of this essay was whether his intentions behind this stirring was conservative, to reinforce and maintain the traditional Greek values, or radical, to stimulate a new approach to values.There was evidence which defended that Socrates was a conservative, however, it was shown that this conservative motive was only a front. Evid ently, his conduct and theories suggest that Socrates was more on the side of a radical. Cornford, M. (1974). The republic. untested York Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). Crito. New York Oxford University Press. Gallop, D. (1997). The Republic. New York Oxford University Press. Jowett, B. (2009). Apology. Retrieved from http//classics. mit. edu/Plato/apology. html.