Looking back at my senior year in high school, I can now appreciate the job that my English teacher did by covering Greek history. I never thought that I would use what I learned during that period. Four years later, after changing my major to Political Science, I see myself trying to refresh my memory on The Apology by Plato. I just finished reading it a couple of days ago for my POLS 3 class. What got my attention was the way Socrates used reason and logic to study people through cross examination. Socrates always challenged peoples' opinions and beliefs to see if they really knew what they were talking about. In addition, he was less interested in appearances, but more concerned with the mind and the soul of a person. Nevertheless, Socrates' accusers disliked his ways of thinking and his views on people. His indictment in The Apology includes Socrates' interesting way of defending himself, where he was actually asking for a reward rather than a punishment. After watching a short clip about Socrates and his appearance, I could see another reason why they wanted him dead. If this documentary was accurate, Socrates had a disfigured face, had feet of a hobbit, and wore nothing but a mantle. Although he had physical deficiencies, it was his thinking that really stood out. He was a strong defender of Athenian Laws and a devoted follower of the gods, even though his accusers did not agree. All in all, Socrates was a loyal Athenian who became a martyr in hopes of passing on his message for generations to come.
Vocabulary words
Impertinent- not restrained within due or proper bounds especially of propriety or good taste.
Deities- the rank or essential nature of a god
Thursday, August 27, 2009
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