Platos Apology

Platos  Apology  is one of the most famous and admired texts in world literature.  It offers what many scholars believe is a fairly  reliable account of what the Athenian philosopher Socrates (469 BCE - 399 BCE) said in court on the day that he was tried and condemned to death on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Although short, it offers an unforgettable  portrait of Socrates, who comes across as smart, ironic, proud, humble, self-assured, and fearless in the face of death.  It offers not just a defense of Socrates the man but also a defense of the philosophical life, which is one reason it has always been popular with philosophers! The text and the title The work was written by Plato  who was present at the trial.  At the time he was 28 years old and a great admirer of Socrates, so the portrait and the speech may be embellished to cast both in a good light.  Even so, some of what Socrates detractors called his arrogance comes through. The  Apology  is most definitely not an apology: the Greek word apologia really means defense. Background: Why was Socrates put on trial? This is a little complicated.  The trial took place in Athens in 399 BCE.  Socrates was not prosecuted by the state--that is, by the city of Athens, but by three individuals, Anytus, Meletus, and Lycon.  He faced two charges: 1) corrupting the youth 2) impiety or irreligion.   But as Socrates himself says, behind his new accusers there are old accusers. Part of what he means is this.  In 404 BCE, just five years earlier, Athens had been defeated by its rival city state Sparta after a long and devastating conflict known ever since as the Peloponnesian War. Although he fought bravely for Athens during the war, Socrates was closely associated with characters like Alcibiades who some blamed for Athens ultimate defeat.   Worse still, for a short time after the war, Athens was ruled by a bloodthirsty and oppressive group put in place by Sparta, the thirty tyrants as they were called.  And Socrates had at one time been friendly with some of them.  When the thirty tyrants were overthrown in 403 BCE and  democracy was restored in Athens, it was agreed that no-one should be prosecuted for things done during the war or during the reign of the tyrants. Because of this general amnesty, the charges against Socrates were left rather vague.  But everyone in court that day would have understood what lay behind them. Socrates formal refutation of the charges against him In the first part of his speech Socrates shows that the charges against him dont make much sense. Meletus in effect claims that Socrates both  believes in no gods and that he believes in false gods.  Anyway, the supposedly impious beliefs he is accused of holding--e.g. that the sun is a stone--are old hat; the philosopher Anaxagoras makes this claim in a book that anyone can buy in the market place.  As for corrupting the youth, Socrates argues that no-one would do this knowingly.  To corrupt someone is to make them a worse person, which would also make them a worse friend to have around. Why would he want to do that? Socrates real defense: a defense of the philosophical life The heart of the Apology  is Socrates account of the way he has lived his life.  He recounts how his friend Chaerephon once asked the Delphic Oracle if anyone was wiser than Socrates.  The Oracle said that no -one was.  On hearing this Socrates claims to have been astounded, since he was acutely aware of his own ignorance.  He set about trying to prove the Oracle wrong by interrogating his fellow Athenians, searching for someone who was genuinely wise.  But he kept coming up against the same problem.  People might be quite expert about some particular thing such as military strategy, or boatbuilding; but they always thought themselves expert on many other things, particularly on deep moral and political questions.  And Socrates, in the course of questioning them, would reveal that on these matters they didnt know what they were talking about. Naturally, this made Socrates unpopular with those whose ignorance he  exposed.  It also gave him the reputation (unjustly, he says) of being a sophist, someone who was good at winning arguments through verbal quibbling.  But he stuck to his mission throughout his life.  He was never interested in making money; not did he enter politics.  He was happy to live in poverty and spend  his time discussing moral and philosophical questions with anyone who was willing to converse with him. Socrates then does something rather unusual. Many men in his position would conclude their speech by appealing to the jurys compassion, pointing out that they have young children, and pleading for mercy.  Socrates does the opposite.  He more or less harangues the jury and everyone else present to reform their lives, to stop caring so much about money, status, and reputation,  and start caring more about the moral quality of heir souls. Far from being guilty of any crime, he argues, he is actually gods gift to the city, for which they should be grateful.  In  a famous image he likens himself to a gadfly that by stinging the neck of a horse keeps it from being sluggish. This is what he does for Athens: he keeps people from becoming intellectually lazy and forces them to be self-critical. The Verdict The jury of 501 Athenian citizens proceed to find Socrates guilty by a vote of 281 to 220.  The system required the prosecution to propose a penalty and the defense to propose an alternative penalty.  Socrates accusers propose death.  They probably expected Socrates to propose exile, and the jury would probably have gone along with this.  But Socrates wont play the game.  His first proposal is that, since hes an asset to the city, he should  receive free meals at the prytaneum, an honor usually given to Olympic athletes.  This outrageous suggestion probably sealed his fate. But Socrates is defiant. He rejects the idea of exile.  He even rejects the idea of staying in Athens and keeping his mouth shut. He cant stop doing philosophy, he says, because the unexamined life is not worth living. Perhaps in response to the urgings of his friends, Socrates eventually proposes a fine, but the damage was done. By a larger margin, the jury voted for the death penalty. Socrates is not surprised by the verdict, nor is he phased by it.  Hes seventy years old and will die soon anyway. Death, he says, is either an endless dreamless sleep, which is nothing to fear, or it leads to an afterlife where, he imagines, he will be able to carry on philosophizing. A few weeks later Socrates died by drinking hemlock, surrounded by his friends.  His last moments are beautifully related by Plato in the  Ã‚  Phaedo.

Importance Of Cell Phone Safety Essay - 1056 Words

The cell phone safety In spite of the fact that cell phones convey a few expediency and advantages to our lives, they additionally have some possibly unsafe impacts. Disclosure of cell phones has been one of the critical technological progress lately. A portion of these effects has contributed emphatically to our lives, yet at the same time, others have affected contrarily. The cell phones have had a noticeable effect on the social life of individuals. In any case, cell phones have accompanied adverse consequences for people lives. One is that mobile phones have impacted relational connections and social collaborations adversely. cell phones have expanded inclinations of using it while driving on roads, which is lead to deadly†¦show more content†¦It is irresponsible behavior using the cell phone while driving, it cost the people lives for usually not important conversations. As everybody may know, mobile phones are extremely distracting. When driving, the last thing the people need is to be distracted by a cell phone, according to Qiao, â€Å"Texting while driving is highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of road crashes and is associated with other risky driving behaviors. Most states have enacted distracted driving laws to prohibit texting while driving.† Texting and driving are not just distracting the driver, but also put the other lives in danger. Focusing on roads while driving safe the people lives. People are in an expanded hazard for antagonistic health impacts from mobile phone radiation. Cell phones cause electromagnetic radiation, which causes disease in the human body. In the current investigation by researchers, mobile phones are demonstrated to cause brain cancer. According to Rosch, â€Å"more than two-thirds of independent studies did find biological effects, including changes in DNA that have been linked to cancer, as well as a significant increase in temperature and malignant tumors in brain tissues close to the ear the cell phone was applied to.†. When people utilizing a cellShow MoreRelatedThe Modern Expansion of Cellular Phone Use1571 Words   |  7 PagesCellular Phone Use The Modern Expansion of Cellular Phone Use Over a decade ago the house phone was such a remarkable advancement where it provided a person to call places over thousands of miles away. Then the ease and comfort of wireless phones came out. Now, the invention of cellular phones (a mobile telephone) is an excellent device to do business or call out for help when you need to. 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Being Wasteful Free Essays

Being Wasteful   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What being wasteful means to me is not using what you have or been given in a proper way. When I think of someone being wasteful, I think of someone that buys clothes and never wears them and just keeps buying new. Another way I think of being wasteful is by not eating your food that you are given or buy and having to throw it away. We will write a custom essay sample on Being Wasteful or any similar topic only for you Order Now I also believe you can be wasteful with your finances. The first way I feel that someone can be wasteful is by buying clothes and never wearing them. To have a closet or floor full of clothes and to only wear the same three outfits every week is wasteful. My friend Andrea has this habit; she will say she has to go buy a new outfit to go to work in. She will then go to the mall, spend hours picking out this outfit, and take it home to put it in her closet and end up never wearing it. She has approximately twenty outfits still with tags on them that she has never worn. After she decides she doesn’t want them or won’t wear them, she won’t take them back because she states â€Å"I’m going to wear them someday. † This to me is just being wasteful. I believe it is wasteful because she is buying clothes she does not need, and she is wasting money. Another way I think of being wasteful is with food. If you go spend the money on the groceries you need to cook meals or a dinner, and then decide that you don’t want to have it, but then never do anything with that food and it spoils and you have to throw it out, that is being wasteful. In addition, if you put so much food on your plate and do not eat it and then have to throw it in the trash, that is being wasteful. My daughter Kaytlyn has a very bad habit of thinking she is hungrier than she actually is, and once she starts eating before she even gets close to being done, she has to throw part of it away. Then not even an hour later she will want to come ask for a snack. We argue a lot about this; I tell her to start out with smaller amounts, and then if she is still hungry to go back and get more. Another example of being wasteful with food is I will make dinner and have leftovers in the fridge. After several nights of cooking, we take and have a leftover night, and no one wants to eat the leftovers. I get very aggravated with this, because if no one eats the leftover that means this food is being thrown away, leading to more food and money is being wasted. Last is being wasteful with money. Being wasteful with money is thinking you have to spend every penny you have just ecause it is there. My son Austin is very bad about being wasteful with his money. He will buy whatever he wants like LED flashing lights for the inside of his truck that he believes makes it look cool, and he will not take a second look at what he may need in the future. He also has the habit of wasting his money on gas. The example I have for this is he will drive to a friendâ₠¬â„¢s house, then back home to grab something, and then drive back to the same friend’s house. He would not be being wasteful if when he was ready to leave, he would grab everything he needed for what they had planned. Then when something comes up that he needs money for he never has any and then wants to borrow from me. I tell him all the time, â€Å"Maybe you should not be so wasteful with your money and put some in the bank account you have. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The examples I have described are all ways I feel define being wasteful. I feel buying clothes you do not need, and are never going to wear, wasting food that you cook or put on your plate, and are not going to eat, and spending money just because you have it in your pocket, and not saving any money for future need are all examples of being wasteful. How to cite Being Wasteful, Papers

Pakistan Foreign Policy Essay Example For Students

Pakistan: Foreign Policy Essay Pakistan: Foreign PolicyPakistan, a land of many splendors and opportunities, a repository of a unique blend of history and culture for both the East and West has been the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations. The Indus valley, is the ninth most populous Area in the world, with 134 million tough, conscientious, hard working people wishing and striving hard to enter into the 21st century as equal partners in the community of the different developed nations. During the last 20 years Pakistans economy has been one of the fastest growing in the world-the seventh fastest in Asia (www.forisb.org/fpolicy). Pakistans economy has been becoming large on a worldwide scale, with the annual gross domestic product growing at more than six percent a year. It is now a member of the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (www.forisb.org/fpolicy). Pakistan is strategically located in close proximity to the affluent Middle East. It is in position geographically to be a gateway of trade for many land-locked countries, such as Afghanistan and those of central Asia. It is also in proximity to the enormous East Asian Markets. The trade relations of Pakistan have been very diverse, for trade has been opened between them and countries in the Middle East as well as the Far East. The trade policy in Pakistan has been dramatically changed over the last few years. One of the main policies for trade through Pakistan isin order to decrease manufacturing cost of the exporters, all imports by all direct and indirect exporters under various schemes including no duty, no draw back, manufacturing in bond and temporary import schemes, will be allowed without payment of custom duty, sales tax and with-holding income tax (www3.jaring.my/pakistanhc/page19.html). Pakistan now has a highly developed financial sector consisting of local as well as foreign commercial banks, investment banks, leasing companies, mutual funds and varies other fund companies. Besides providing working capital and long-term financing to the investors, these banks offer a number of facilities such as remittance of profits/dividends and maintenance of foreign currency accounts (www.mofa.com). Now because of this, various cities in Pakistan have developed stock exchanges with major corporations in the U.S. Security in Pakistan has been a major issue since the origins of the country and its controversial creation. The overriding objective of Pakistans foreign policy is the safe guarding of its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. This is underpinned by its firm adherence to immutable principles of interstate relations. The violence accompanying the partition leading to the emergence of the two independent states of Pakistan and India generated hostility, which continues to afflict relations between the two countries, mainly because of the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The issue is the source of continuing tensions and conflict, and shaped the unstable and tense security environment in the region. The historical perspective of Pakistans foreign policy falls in five broad phases. The first period covers the time when the UN enforced cease-fire during the 1949 to 1965 War over Kashmir. During this period Pakistan allied itself with the West by joining the Baghdad Pact and its successor, CENTO, and SEATO (www.mafo.com-). The second phase runs from 1965 to the 1971 crisis in East Pakistan. The 1965 war, which was sparked by the Jammu and Kashmir issue, had led to a drastic reduction in economic and military assistance of which Pakistan has just recently recovered from. The increase in defense needed added together with the decline in foreign assistance was probably the main reason for the economic difficulties and aggravated political problems. India played on this crisis and eventually imposed war on Pakistan. .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .postImageUrl , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:hover , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:visited , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:active { border:0!important; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:active , .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2eac72835b817da3ddf230d414e1634e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: james coopers EssayDuring the third phase from 1971 to 1989 Pakistan remained engaged in rebuilding itself and facing the challenge of the Soviet military intervention in neighboring Afghanistan, which lasted for over a decade till 1979, and has spawned a conflict that continues to hurt Afghanistan now(www.mofa.com). The fourth phase covers the period from 1990 to the nuclear tests in 1998. Two important events from a security perspective took place around 1990. USA clamped economic and military sanctions on Pakistan under the Pressler Amendment (Mrs. Soczek 9th grade). That same year the intensification of the freedom movement in Kashmir