Apology Essay Research Paper Apology PaperSocrates states

Apology Essay, Research Paper

Apology Paper

Socrates provinces that the lone thing he knows is that he knows nil. I feel that Socrates is stating that he recognizes the fact that he does non cognize much. Socrates does non seek to feign that he is this all-powerful individual who pretends that they know things they don t know. On page 44 from the Apology Socrates says:

& # 8220 ; I am wiser than this adult male ; it is likely that neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does non, whereas when I do non cognize, neither do I think I know ; so I am likely to be wiser to this little extent, that I do non believe I know what I do non know. & # 8221 ; ( Plato 44 )

When Socrates says this adult male in the above quotation mark he is mentioning to Melutus. All Socrates is stating in this quotation mark is, he is wiser than Melutes, although neither of them knows anything deserving cognizing. Socrates besides says in this quotation mark that the ground that he is smarter than Melutes is because Socrates knows that he knows nil, where Melutes thinks that he knows wholly, when he truly knows nil. The fact that Socrates knows when he knows nil is a cognition all its ain. Socrates admits to non holding all cognition, yet he is looked upon as a wise adult male. This quotation mark is really critical to the Apology because it puts Socrates mentality upon his ego out in the unfastened, so we can see how Socrates perceives his ego.

The fact that Socrates says he does non cognize anything does non intend that he is non intelligent. Socrates was one of the wisest work forces on the planet because he didn t attempt to look as wise, he merely tried to look as himself. Socrates questioned many work forces to see how wise they truly were. As he questioned them, he started to recognize that these purportedly wise work forces were non that wise at all. However, many of these work forces thought that they were wise and tried to feign to cognize replies to inquiries that they did non cognize.

Although Socrates says the lone thing he knows is that he knows nil, he truly does cognize something. He knows that he does non cognize everything, where as some people think they do cognize everything. Most people do non recognize

that they know nil. The difference between Socrates and these people is that Socrates is Honest, honest in the sense that he doesn t prevarication to himself or others.

Many people in Socrates clip did non understand Socrates doctrine. The people of Socrates clip knew what they believed in, nevertheless, they did non cognize why they believed this manner. Socrates continually questioned their certainties doing the people to dislike him. On page 44, Socrates explains:

& # 8220 ; I realized, to my sorrow and dismay, that I was acquiring unpopular, but I thought that I must attach the greatest importance to the God s prophet, so I must travel to all those who had any repute for cognition to analyze its significance. & # 8220 ; ( Plato 44 )

Socrates justifies the fact that many different people have different cognition s, by demuring that these people have certain cognition in certain accomplishments. Such as an car machinist has cognition of autos and who s accomplishments are working with autos. However, merely because a certain individual has knowledge about one thing, that doesn t mean they have any other endowments. Socrates searched far and broad for work forces with cognition, all he found were people who had specific accomplishments in one country, non knowing work forces. Socrates describes these people as ignorant.

Although Socrates was found guilty of perverting the heads of the young person, what he was truly making was analyzing the true significance of life. Socrates was seeking to specify precisely what was the best life. He attempted to happen out what the intent of life truly was. Socrates wanted to cognize why we were put here.

Socrates was a wise adult male because he knew his mistakes and did non conceal them. He was an honorable adult male that was true to himself. Through his experiences, Socrates found that people on the whole truly had no true cognition. He observed that people were simply obsessed with the cognition that they thought they had. This compulsion led them to believe that they were knowing in every field. When in fact, the most cognition that some one had was normally merely in one thing ( accomplishment ) , non many things, or non any true cognition about the ego, and of the true significance of life.