Three important lessons (PLato's Apology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three important lessons (PLatos Apology) - Essay ExampleIn truth, Socrates was imparting a lesson that was central to his work and to his beliefs. His apology was a public lecture on the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and he was beseeching his listeners to discard old and traditional beliefs and embrace modern intellectual development.The background of the Apology is that Socrates is beingness charged with the corruption of the youth and disrespect towards the Gods. He begins by saying that The task is not an easy one I quite understand the genius of it. And so leaving the event with God, in obedience to the law I will now make my defence. (Plato, quoted in Biffle, 34) He confronts his accuser Meletus and demonstrates exactly why and how the charges against him ar false. However, despite his use of logic to defend himself, he is still found guilty and sentenced to die.It is clear throughout the text that Socrates wants to emphasize that he will forestall his accusers lies a nd accusations with wisdom. This is the first lesson the importance of wisdom. He also wishes to emphasize that it is his wisdom and knowledge that make him persecuted, but this wisdom and knowledge will be of a good deal use to the city of Athens. Therefore, instead of using pathos, or arousing pity, he was appealing to the logic of the crowd. Instead of beseeching the people to spare his life, he reasoned with them do logical and coherent arguments with the end in view of convincing them that they would be better off with him alive than with him dead. To quoteFor if you kill me you will not easily find a successor to me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of pestilence, given to the evoke by God and the state is a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousi ng and persuading