Term Paper on Socrates

 

Socrates (469-399 BC), the teacher of Plato, was one of the most influential thinkers of the ancinet Greece. He lived in a time when the Greeks believed in a number of gods and godesses. He was a staunch believer of love, justice, bravery, piety, morality and virtue. He laid great stress on acquiring knowledge and held ignorance, responsible for all evils. A man of internal vision and guided by his natural genius confered on him by what he called the ‘Divine Spirit’, Socrates disapproved the legacies and beliefs of his fellow countrymen. This revolutionary idea of his became responsible for his death. “The apparent harmony of the universe led Socrates to believe that it is ordered by a Divine Spirit and he held... that the soul is immortal. His belief that he himself was inspired by a divine voice... [brought him to his death]. He was a great, good, wise, inspiring... man.”
He was a firm believer of moral values and his thoughts were portrayed in his own character. He never negotiated on his principles even when he sentenced to death by the state for his disbelief in the then existing Greek god and goddesses. He believed that he must follow the law, even if he disagrees with it.

Socrates chose to honor his commitment to truth and morality even though it cost him his life. Socrates held that one should do what he thinks is right even if he is confronted by universal resistance, and should follow knowledge even when opposed.
Apparently it was his rejection of the polytheism that caused his death but in fact it was his rebellious attitude towards the then democratic leadership. That polytheistic belief was advocated by the rulers of his time and his bold criticism lead to his physical end in 399 BC. He criticized Greek democratic institutions and argued that the opinion of all citizens is equal irrespective of their mental capabilities. Moreover, the leadership in democracy is also does not need any pre-qualification.

Socrates was not an ordinary human being but an exemplary personality, a symbol of morality, love, truth, commitment, justice and piety. He explored the concept of a monotheistic faith long before the birth of Jesus. His monotheistic belief was termed as ‘ungodliness’. He was a man of principles and sacrificed his life for it. Simultaneously, however, he was of the opinion that the laws of the state should be obeyed in any circumstances. He therefore, rejected the offer of his friends who proposed his rescue form the prison. His death was only the decay of a physical being and not of his soul. His teachings are still alive and his influences cannot be rejected or overruled.