Apology and republic

Question 1

what are the two charges against Socrates at his trial.

Answer 1

1. corrupting the youth of Athens by teaching them to doubt the status quo
2. Believing in false Gods by introducing new ones

Question 2

do you think he gave an adequate defense at the trial. defend position using details from the text

Answer 2

• begins by saying that the jury minds have been given a bad impression of him for a long time
• then explains why he questions people the way he does
• a wise man would not corrupt another for fear that they would be harmed by the corrupted persons vengeance,
• if he were to be convicted of corruption it would be because of the preconceived notions in the judges minds because of Aristophanes play the clouds.
• socrates can not be an athiest and promote false gods at the same time.

Question 3

the prosecution claims that socrates deserves the death penalty. what does socrates claim he deserves? what does this do to affect the final verdict of the judges. should he have opted for exile?

Answer 3

Socrates proposed to the court that he be treated as a benefactor to the city of Athens; that he should be given free meals, in perpetuity, at the Prytaneum, the public dining hall of Athens.

this doesn’t change anything

probably rigged’

wouldn’t have mattered what he chose

Question 4

what is socrates mission to Athens. how did this lead to him declaring that he knows that he knows nothing. does he lack knowledge? does he know the good?

Answer 4

-Socrates saw himself as a spokesman for the oracle who said that he was the wisest.
-he knew he knew nothing and went around fining wise people and asking them to define things
-couldn’t find anyone wise
-declared that knowing that you know nothing makes you the wisest
he does not lack knowledge, he is a smart guy, but he knows he cant answer life big questions. admitting that he cant is what makes him smart

Question 5

soicrates does not believe death to be bad, why?what are your opinions on this

Answer 5

• either death is annihilation (release from earthly worry) and not to be feared,
• or death is migration (higher plane of existence) in which reside the souls of personages and heroes, such as Hesiod and Homer and Odysseus
• you shouldn’t be afraid of what you don’t know

Question 6

how is socrates like a gadfly

Answer 6

People don’t like him but he makes things better. He knows he is annoying to everyone

he makes people question their life and what knowledge and justice truly is

keeps athens from setteling into a state of ignorance

Question 7

what are the three metals? what part of the soul do each correspond to?which class of citizin does each correspond to?

Answer 7

Gold silver and bronze. gold is the rational logic based part of the soul, silver is the emotional, social and reputation part, bronze is the appetive part. gold are rulers and women, silver are soldiers, bronze are producers and merchants

Question 8

explain the alagory of the cave and its meaning on education

Answer 8

people in a cave shown shadows, one forced out, eyes ajust, new reality, new life, returns to show friends but cant see, they think hes crazy and dont listen.

teaching is hard,
people dont learn what they dont want to.
when you learn going back is nearly impossible
you cant force learning
education is a complete transformation of ones value system; “it requires a ‘turning around’ and ‘ascent’ of the soul 
we need to force ourselves to want to learn about the truth.

Question 9

how does Socrates description of the tyrant attempt to provide an answer to glaucon and his story about his ring of power

Answer 9

glaucon wants to know why it is not better to have material goods and be unjust than the others.
Socrates explains how internal good is better.
talks about a tyrant that has all the material goods he could ever want, but he is not complete because he is unjust. HE has no underlying justice and is not internally sound

becomes afraid and pleanexic. crime does not pay

Question 10

5 types of platos government

Answer 10

aristocracy, teocracy,oligarchy, democracy,and tyranny

Question 11

explain aristocracy

Answer 11

wise rule

gold desire focus

Question 12

timocracy

Answer 12

honor rule (save money)
high silver desire

Question 13

oligarcgy

Answer 13

rich rule

borderline silver and bronze

Question 14

democracy

Answer 14

poor rule

bronze (poor rule)

Question 15

tyrany

Answer 15

pure multiplicity

Question 16

how an aristocratic soul can become a tyrannic soul

Answer 16

start with aristocratic

1. Aristocracy degenerates into timocracy when, the next generation of guardians and auxiliaries includes persons of an inferior nature (the persons with souls made of iron or bronze, )
2. An oligarchy is originated by extending tendencies already evident in a timocracy.ecause of the pleasures derived therefrom, money eventually is prized over virtue, and the leaders of the state seek to alter the law to give way and accommodate to the materialistic lust of its citizens
3. Oligarchy then degenerates into democracy where freedom is the supreme good but freedom is also slavery. In democracy, the lower class grows bigger and bigger. The poor become the winners.
4. Democracy then degenerates into tyranny where no one has discipline and society exists in chaos. Democracy is taken over by the longing for freedom. Power must be seized to maintain order. A champion will come along and experience power, which will cause him to become a tyrant

Question 17

is it better to be just even with no material or social benefits or is it better to be unjust and get those

Answer 17

think on it

Question 18

how does socrates defend against polymarchus definition that justice is doing good to good people and bad to bad people. was this underhanded?

Answer 18

he uses a craft analogy and then the lack of knowledeg.

he gets him to admit that people make mistakes in judgement.
how do people know good form evil.
this will help bad and hurt good eventually
tehre is also a backwards notion of harming people as justice
this was pretty underhanded. not really fair

Question 19

is thersymicusses definition of justice more correct than socratesideal definition

Answer 19

ther (his definition is something that is true, its not ideal, but it is based on facts) it is the justness of the law and the people governing having the power of justice.
Socrates. believes in an underlying justice that governs us all. he talked about the band of thieves that doesn’t steal from each other so that they are successful.

Question 20

what kind of things are gold souled people willing to give up to persue the good. is plato fair in this requirtement? defentd

Answer 20

they give up silver and bronze souled desires. these include appetative desires and social and popularity benefits of the silver soul desires.

i believe that plato is on to something
but i believe balance is key
one cant jsut persue knowledge or they will literally die
there has to be at least some sense of need for the natural human needs
if not death is inevitable.

Question 21

how does the allagory of the cave deal with education

Answer 21

plato talks about education and knowledge as levels of knowing. each step of the cave dwellers travels leads to a new step.

in the cave there is imagination,as the 2d shapes are guessed.
being unshacled reveals a slight third dimentsion and a state of a new level of understanding. this is opinion.
being forced out of the cave is true opinion.
being able to ajust to the light and see the world as it trulyt is is knowledge