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Guidance questions (but your journals do not have to be limited to answering them)
1. What is in common among politicians, poets and craftsmen according to Socrates?
2. Why Socrates thinks he is wiser than them?
3. What does Socrates consider as his contribution to Athens?
Ruby Rios
ReplyDelete1-31-11
1. According to Socrates, craftsmen, politicians and poets share the quality of believing they know something, when in actuality they're oblivious.
2. Socrates believes he is wiser than poets, craftsmen and politicians because he doesn't know. Not only does he not know, but he knows that he doesn't know. That in itself is an advantage because he isn't ignorant. Not only is he coherent to his naivety to many things, but he's not living in deception.
3. Socrates considers his proof that Meletus did not actually care about the matter, was a contribution to the Athens.
Notes:
Socrates exposed Meletus' ulterior motive was to openly accuse and examine Socrates, it wasn't to protect the youth from depravity. Socrates also proved his case by showing that Meletus was contradicting himself.
As far as Socrates having an advantage over the rest, because he realizes he knows nothing makes sense. At least he acknowledges the fact that there is more to things than he can comprehend, as opposed to believing only what he thinks he knows, like they did.
Preston Charles
ReplyDelete1-31-11
1. In the opinion of Socrates craftsmen, poets and politicians share one common quality. The quality of believing that their wise, therefore they tote great knowledge and good judgment.
2. Socrates did not believe he was wiser in the mind set of smartness, but rather not living in a mentality in which he knows everything. Socrates searched for answers after being told he was the wisest among men by a God. As he venture seeking men who was believe to be wise he notice something they all fail to realize, they all believed they knew to much thus leading them to their own deception.
3. Socrates contribution to the Athens was the exposures of Meletus his caring and all wise persona lie he made everyone believe.
Sheena Lambert
ReplyDelete2-2-11
1. In Socrates opinion, the most common quality among the politicians,poets and craftsmen is their belief that they are wise when as a matter of fact they all lack that quality.
2. Socrates thinks he is at greater advantage than the politicians, poets and craftsmen because he as opposed to the others, was not living with the narrow-minded view that he knew everything. Socrates even though he was repeatedly told by others that he was the wisest, believed that the only wisdom he had was the knowledge that he knew nothing.
3. Socrates considers his evidence of Meletus' lack of concern/care(which in fact is contradictory to the meaning of his name:"the person who cares") about the case as his contribution to Athens.
1. According to Socrates, politicians, poets and craftsmen have in common as they have belief that they know better then anyone, however it turns to be only know but do not understand the meaning of them.
ReplyDelete2. Socrates thinks he is wiser than them because the greatest knowledge is not knowing, not that he pretend to not know, but he really doesn't. and that makes him the wisest.
3. Socrates consider as his contribution to Athens is that he point out Meletus is a liar which makes everyone believe what Meletus's care and believe is real, and turn out that all is not true but fake.
Jennifer Bacigalupo
ReplyDeleteAccording to Socrates, there is one thing common amongst politicians, poets, and craftsmen: They know nothing, but think that they do. They know politics and poetry and the work of a craftsman, but that does not make them wise. They are told they are wise or they think of themselves as wise because they know how to do what they are best at. This one deficiency in all three of them negatively outshined any chance of them proving to be wise. One other thing that Socrates found in common after meeting with each three is that he feels superior in being himself amongst each three of the politician, poet, and craftsman.
-When comparing death with an undisturbed sleep therefore eternal death would equal one nights slumber,
AND
-When comparing death as if it were a journey to another place to receive a chance in conversing with the good men for eternity,
Socrates is accurate in my eyes that nothing can be greater for life after this present life.
Socrates came to an end with a matter of which is better: to die or to live, and that it is an unknown. The fact that he made that his final words in his last hour of life leaves us with confusion and I bet he intended to do so.
2-2-11
ReplyDelete1. According to Socrates, politicians, poets and craftsmen believed they were wise and knew of everything.
2. Socrates believes he is wiser than the politicians, poets and craftsmen because he realizes that he does not know everything and that there is much more to be learned.
3. Socrates' contribution to the Athens was him letting them know that Meletus was a liar and the concern that he showed was insincere.
Bianca Gayle
ReplyDelete1. Socrates “found that the men most in repute were all but the most foolish; and that some inferior men were really wiser and better”. He thought Politicians, Poets and Craftsmen were wise in their field, but lack wisdom among other things. They believed they were the wisest of men in other things in which they were not wise. Socrates said “Because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their wisdom”.
2.Socrates believes he is wiser than Politicians, Poets and Craftsmen because, they believed themselves to be the wisest of men in other things in which they were not wise. In this case, Socrates is better off—“for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows. I neither know nor think that I know. In this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him”.
3.Meletus believes Socrates is corrupting the youth, and Socrates proved him wrong. Socrates greatest contribution to Athens was his ability to do the greatest good privately to everyone, and his sought to persuade every man to look to himself, and seek virtue and wisdom before he looks to his private interests, and look to the state. Socrates gave his wisdom to Athens, “and I give you the reality”.
Saleem Bradley February 2, 2011
ReplyDelete1.) According to Socrates, the politicians,
poets, and craftsmen were all labeled with great wisdom. After questioning the three, Socrates believed that even though they are good at their jobs, they did not know much of anything. Socrates found that the politician, poets, and craftsmen all believed they were wise. The only reason I believe the three felt they were wise was because they were good at their job. So the politicians, poets, and craftsmen were confident they were wise in everything else besides their actual job.
2.) The Oracle said there was no one wiser than Socrates. Socrates wanted to prove the Oracle wrong because Socrates felt he had no actual wisdom. After questioning the politicians, poets, and craftsmen Socrates declared he rather know he does not have a great deal of wisdom, than to be labeled someone who has wisdom but in actuality they have no knowledge. In my opinion, I do believe Socrates think he is wiser because unlike the three, he does not think he is wise in everything without having actual knowledge.
3.) Socrates considers himself coming to Athens as his contribution. I believe this because he uses a great metaphor with the gadfly. After Socrates questioned the politicians, poets, and craftsmen; he proved that Meletus was actually corrupting Athens.
I used the translated version by G.M.A. Grube
1. According to Socrates, what the politicians, poets, and craftsmen have in common is that they were all seen as wise men by others, and thought of themselves as wise, but were not at all wise. Although they might have been experts in their field, they knew nothing about other things but still thought they did.
ReplyDelete2. Socrates thought of himself as wiser than those people because although he did not know things, he knew that he didn’t know as opposed to the politicians, poets, and craftsmen who didn’t know but were convinced they did.
3. Socrates considers that his contribution to Athens was proving to everyone that Meletus was a liar and did not care.
I was quite moved by the "Apology, by Plato," because it left me believing that there are many who chose to be followers and not take the time or have the courage to learn something new. I was appalled that the decision to take Socrates life after his speech and the mockery he made of Meletus on the witness stand. The manner in which he spoke of death and how much we all dread it because we would compromise anything to avoid it. Here stands a man who would rather die than to succumb to pleading or using his family to vouche for him, or change his beliefs in any way just to save his own life and he is still condemned for something that should be honored and embraced. What is it that we all fear in looking within ourselves for the true meaning of our existence? We do not take riches or even the opinions of other with us when we die, so why is it so important for us to have all of this and deceit our true selves.
ReplyDeleteSocrates mission was one of honor. It was a selfless act of going beyond the call of duty to bring his message of virtue to the people of Athens. He carried out the calling he was put on this earth to do. He did it without monetary gain and sacrificed so many things to give the gift of righteousness and purity of what we as humans should truly value.
ReplyDeleteShaunelle Hall
ReplyDeleteAccording to Socrates politicians, poets, and craftsmen all share the common attribute of pretending to have knowledge, and that is all it is “false pretence”. In his opinion Politicians knows nothing but then thinks they know it all. Poets are well at their craft but are fooled by their knowledge to the point where some themselves do not understand the meaning behind the words they are expressing in its full capacity. He also believes that craftsmen are more so in likeness to poets because they themselves are too good workmen and are looked at as superior to others and because of this they draw their own conclusion that they are wiser than most and this fact does no justice to their wisdom. Socrates thinks that he is wiser than them simply because of the mere fact that he does not pretend to be something that he is not. He does not pretend to know something that he knows little or nothing about but instead stay true to who he is and preach only what he is knowledgeable of. Socrates considers his actions of giving the people of Athens the appearance of reality and not false happiness to be his contribution to Athens. Socrates intentions and way of life was one seeking virtue and not riches and material things.
Socrates is a real teacher but doesn't want to be considered a teacher because that would separate his placement among the men around him and he believes in equality; as opposed to the craftsmen, politicians, and poets who believe they are superior to each other for their own reasons, respectively. The one reason Socrates believes that he is wiser than these men and others in court is because he understands the value of every man but does not place himself above them, even though he is being tried for this very crime; one the accusers themselves are committing. Socrates knows that he does not know everything, but believes that his mission is to speak freely about Love and God and learn from everyone as they learn from him. He ultimately feels that he is a step above these other men who give themselves higher titles than the ones they give him or anyone else because he understands that they, like he, are "[men], and like other men, a creature of flesh and blood, and not of wood or stone." The value that these men give Socrates is one that he doesn't ask for nor is it one that he accepts, which is why he isn't willing to change his ways even in death. He believes that values are not given by man or by laws but that true values already lie within us; and, for there to be a law created by a man that says that he can be killed if he disobeys certain other laws created by man. He will not afraid that law or of that death brought by the law because he receives laws and commands from God. The mission that Socrates received God is one that the accusers and the law find clearly contradicting to the ones they made up, which is why Socrates is found guilty. Although not afraid of death, Socrates does understand that there are not many like him who will speak the truth freely while being unafraid of man. For this reason he believes that he is valuable to Athens. Not because he is alive, but because in pursuing his mission he is helping the people of Athens themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe people clearly do no understand Socrates.
1.Socrates,According to him the commonality between the poets,politicians,and craftsmen is that they seem to think that ignorance is a foreign nature to them in their field of doing ,resulting in them being 'wise' in the general sense. having feel as if they themselves epitomize what wisdom is.
ReplyDelete2.Not necessarily 'wiser',being that Socrates really doesn't consider to be wise in the first place,Socrates feels he has an advantage over them because he unlike them acknowledges his ignorance as a state of knowing.Rather than being in the lack of.
3.In my opinion ,I believe that Socrates contribution wasn't only that of Meletus display of contradiction but that of why the way he is and that wisdom is not in the state of knowing but knowing that of your ignorance.
The apology was very controversial in different ways.socrates was very brave in defending himself and his different way of non-comformed thinking. Socrates promoted asking questions and not just believing what your told, he just wanted people to think for themselves and not be followers but leaders. However in this day on age a man of 70 years of age we may appreciate this type of wizdom but when people began to listen to socrates and question the law he was considered to be a rebel. His teachings were considered treason to those that were ignorant. We learn that when people do not understand immediately they automatically dont like it. When socrates questioned meletus about who are leading these young scholars into conformity? Are they not the enemy? And because they come to me with no pressure and decide to follow me on their own I am at fault and basically considered a traitor because I promote thinking? Socrates is a 70 year old man that isn't from athens and comes from a different way of thinking. People do not understand him and immediately bash him for being a great thinker.
ReplyDeleteTo be wise is to be knowledgeable, depending on whom you ask. What does it take for a man to be wise is the question posed in the writing; do you have to be highly intelligent, are you required to be old or is wisdom something that you have no control over. Is the gift of wisdom bestowed upon those who have no knowledge of it? In the writing Socrates' says "I found that men most in repute were all but the most foolish, and that some inferior men were really wiser and better." According to Socrates' the politicians, the poets and the craftsmen were all very prominent members of society but they were not really wise because no man really has wisdom, especially when they feel that they are superior to others. To have traits others don't possess does not mean you are wise, it means you have a marketable skill. To have true wisdom is to be humble and know that while you may have mastered dexterity there is still more to learn, cause at the end of the day life is nothing more than one big lesson.
ReplyDeleteI personally dont think Socrates finds himself smarter than anyone else I think he's just discovered something that others have not. By him going against what society says hes discovered that wisdom is on fact knowing nothing. These people that society views as wise like politicians, showed their wisdom through superficial means;like promising things and appearing wise when they really werent.
ReplyDeleteSocrates tells nothing else than the truth but yet after going to the poets he tells himself "now you will find ut that you are more ignorant than they are".Socrates says ths because they are confusing their ability and strenth to write and do politics.Is as if thepoets and politics only had the power to write on the suject which they were strong in,but didn't have suficient knowledge to teach something about what he had written about.Him knowing this made him feel more than superior and satisfied about him havingthe wisdom that no other had, he was still the wiser one.What i don't understand is how he talks about god being the only wise one,but he is considering himself wise as well because he has knowledge yet him being wise is worth nothing.Maletus was compting the youth with his lies,painting it so good that it seem to be true.Socrates effort to prove that mabetus was a deseatful liar was his constribution to athens.
ReplyDelete(ERIK ROBLES)
ReplyDeleteThe oracle of Delphi claimed that no man was wiser then Socrates. Socrates does not rebuke this claim but rather enlightens such a statement by addressing it. He agrees to this claim by saying maybe he is the wisest for he claims to know nothing contrary to the POLITICIAN, POET, and CRAFTSMEN that share one thing in common, that they claim to know it all when they really know nothing. Arising the questions to me personally as to, can being humble really lead to exaltation? Can accepting once ignorance really lead him to understanding? Socrates contributed to the Athens by saying that he was a "Gadfly" and that by killing him they may be hurting them selfs because there might be no other Gadfly, one that goes around teaching, exhorting, interrogating and cross examining each one privately!.