Socrates :: essays research papers

Socrates     Socrates, as known by Renault, was a beautiful creature. Not physicallybeautiful, but internally and basically beautiful. It was he who saidWhen you assume 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 free of charge. He often walked and talked with children and green 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 government whenever possible. Socrates believedhis role in life was to teach a new understanding of virtues, it was thesevirtues that revolved nearly 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 Strymon 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 accept in the pupil much reverence forage and kinship in mere men." Parents blamed the lack of respect for elders onSocrates. In right Renault says that he was only giving them guidance so thatthey may contain themselves and be free of petty problems. This guidance andadvice caused these young men to re-think their attitudes. thence Alexias,Xenophon, and especially Plato were all changed by Socrates. They fill outdSocrates like a puzzle or father pp. 392, "In a word," said Xenophon, "We lovehim." This love for Socrates was often misinterpreted as love being lost forfamily, through argument. Parents were so afraid of losing children to him they do laws. One law stated that Socrates could not intercommunicate to anyone under thirtyyear s of age. Socrates defied this law, and was not punished. However after awhile all his defiances and warnings caught up with him. He was given thechoice of ban 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 precept 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.