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Apology
In the events leading up to Socrates’ statement "the unexamined life is not worth living
for man”, Socrates was on trial for corrupting the youth as well as failing to acknowledge the
gods of Athens. He had been found guilty and during his sentencing and M eletus had requested
the death penalty, to which Socrates attempted to discuss a lesser punishment. One of the last
alternatives he entertained was to be exiled, however he argued that he couldn’t guarantee that
he would remain quiet. Despite the severity of Socrates’ punishment, he still maintained the
idea that silence concerning his beliefs would not be guaranteed.
For an individual to feel so strongly about something, it’s easy to see this is a huge issue
in that society. What I personally derive from S ocrates’ words and actions, is that we as people
are not meant to be simply content with what we are presented with. Constantly questioning
the world around us, and seeking more than the stereotypical life the average person seems to
lead is something he b elieves that everybody should strive for. Incorporating this idea into
current society, I consider the American Dream. In the past and present, citizens are constantly
encouraged to strive for the simplistic ‘American’ life complete with children, a hetero sexual
spouse, and perhaps a dog. With Socrates’ idea in mind, I now think to protests, conspiracies,
questioning laws along with the everyday practices of our modern society, because people
simply are not content, making his ideas and words come to life t housands of years later.
I find myself in complete agreement with the ideas and statements Socrates’
presented. Constantly improving myself and striving for above and beyond what is expected is
something I incorporate into my everyday life. I also agree because I associate challenging what
we have, what we deserve, and what we desire, to be what makes life worth living.
Improvement, success, and contradicting ideas presented to us is what makes who we are, and
is what has molded our society into what it is today.
The nature of Philosophy requires we search for the fundamental knowledge of all
things. This includes questioning our reality and very existence. Socrates supports this in his
statement, since to remain quiet and not discuss the virtues of life would contradict everything
that he believes in. The most important quality of life to him is to be able to search for the
answers through educated discussions with others. This ties back into the heart of philosophy
because a life where you are cons tantly questioning your actions, along with other individual’s
actions, makes for a more meaningful existence as a whole. Furthermore, going into this trial,
Socrates already expected the outcome to not be in his favor, however he still presented his
argum ent in an attempt to make the jurors think more critically about the accusations. He not
only defended his own stance, but at the same time he used logic to contradict his accuser’s
claims. In a way his testimony at the trial was one of his last teachings, and he approached it as
such, using everything that he stood for to try and teach one last lesson to the jurors.