'Socrates: Life and Trial'

 'Socrates: Life and Trial'

(Sunday Reading)

Video 1 :- सुकरात का दर्शन। (मरते हुए मुर्गे की बात क्यों कर रहे थे?) :-

Socrates was a great philosopher of ancient Greece. He was born in 469 BCE. Socrates never wrote any texts, but he was renowned for his wisdom and good thoughts. He also had many enemies. During a period of conflict between Athens and Sparta, Socrates joined the military and participated in several battles. His journey to becoming a philosopher is intriguing, involving the Oracle of Delphi, which was believed to be blessed by the god Apollo and capable of making accurate prophecies. The story explains how Socrates began his philosophical journey after hearing from the Oracle of Delphi that he was the wisest person.

Socrates decided to question the people of Athens to understand their wisdom. He would ask fundamental questions like "What is justice?" and "What is good or evil?" This method of questioning became known as the Socratic Method, still used in philosophy and reasoning today. An example illustrates the Socratic Method: Someone tells Socrates that Persians have killed some Greeks. When asked if he is concerned, Socrates counters with questions highlighting inconsistencies in the person's arguments about justice and tradition. Through the dialogue, Socrates reveals the deeper truth about justice and human behaviour. This dialogues are not just to proov something but it helps to understand something and understand the importance of chance to achieve something.

Discuss some another example, it provides an additional example of the Socratic Method and continues the story of Socrates. It discusses how Socrates approached the question of why a person continues to smoke despite knowing it is harmful. Common explanations suggest a lack of willpower, but Socrates argued that the person perceives the pleasure from smoking as more significant than the health risks. Socrates believed that by accurately calculating and comparing the benefits and harms, one can make better decisions. The story touches on the political turmoil in Athens, particularly the conflict between Athens and Sparta. After Sparta's victory, the democratic system in Athens was replaced by an oligarchy of 30 tyrants. Socrates first clashed with this new power when he defended a military general accused of failing to retrieve fallen soldiers' bodies. Socrates was asked to participate in another injustice by arresting a person to be brought before the tyrants. While others complied, Socrates refused, showing his commitment to justice even against the oppressive regime.

Socrates was charged with disrespecting Athens' gods and corrupting the youth. He often claimed to receive guidance from a divine voice on his shoulder, which led to accusations of impiety since worshiping non-Greek gods was illegal. His unorthodox behavior and the negative portrayal in a popular play solidified a negative image of him. Despite his clever defenses, such as arguing his physical weakness made him harmless, Socrates' trial ended with a guilty verdict. His defense is considered one of the weakest in trial history, yet it highlights his unique method of questioning and logic.

The final events of Socrates' life and his philosophical stance on death. During his trial, Socrates refused to apologize or ask for leniency, suggesting instead that he deserved to be rewarded for his questioning. Despite having the opportunity to escape, Socrates chose to accept his fate. His last words, as recorded by Plato, were instructions to his friend Crito to offer a rooster to Asclepius, the god of medicine, signifying gratitude for being freed from the "illness" of life. Socrates viewed death without fear, considering it a potential blessing rather than a curse. His commitment to truth and reason has made him one of the most renowned philosophers in history. The Roman philosopher Cicero aptly summarized Socrates' impact by saying he brought philosophy down from the heavens and into the lives of ordinary people.

Video 2 :- A Lesson From Socrates That Will Change The Way You Think :-

The people who believe a man is wise they tend to blindly follow him often with terrible consequences. Socrates has keep more and more focus to as questions about reach to truth and claiming the authenticity. If you don't ask questions to this wisdom, you can never discover its truth, reality and its flaw. Questions discover the hidden meaning, hidden subtle, and some good knowledge. Socrates asking questions. If someone says that this is true, at that time to ask a series of challenging questions to test their authenticity, authentic information, and true knowledge, and also the basis of claims. After that people realise the power of questioning method in certain ways is more powerful. He gave the example by asking questions like what is virtual?, what is love?. Method of questioning is known as the method of Socrates. According to Socrates, the true wisdom is the knowledge what you actually known. Socrates also arrested for this only reason to ask questions. 

Video 3 :- The Trial of Socrates (Plato's Apology)

Socrates an Athenian philosopher, was brought to trial 399 BC. Plato who wrote "Apology" as a defence speech presented by Socrates during his trial. In this speech, Socrates defended himself against the charges, arguing and questioning that he was not guilty of impiety nor of corrupting the youth. He explains his pursuit of wisdom as prompted by the Delphic oracle's declaration that he is the wisest man, leading him to question those reputed to be knowledgeable.  He also claimed that he teaching aimed to explore critical thinking and ethical self-improvement and creates new ideas. Throughout the "Apology", Socrates maintain a defiant yet respectful stance. He always  refuses to flatter the jury or beg for mercy, asserting that he would rather speak the truth and face death than compromise his principles.

In Plato's "Apology," Socrates confronts false accusations that he corrupts the youth and disbelieves in the Athenian gods, asserting they stem from misrepresentation by his detractors. He dismisses claims of being an eloquent speaker, preferring straightforward truth over embellished rhetoric. Socrates explains his mission, inspired by the Delphic oracle's pronouncement that he is the wisest man. Socrates refutes accusations of atheism by highlighting his belief in divine forces, contrasting it with the teachings of other philosophers like Anaxagoras, whose ideas were misattributed to him. His defense ultimately portrays his commitment to truth-seeking and philosophical inquiry despite facing persecution.

The jury found Socrates guilty by a narrow margin. When the jury give the opportunity to propose an alternative punishment, at a time such as exile or a fine, Socrates famously suggested that he should be rewarded than punishment, proposing free meals for life as his penalty. The leading to his eventual condemnation to death by hemlock poisoning. The Plato's "Apology" preserves Socrates' defense and his philosophical ideas, including his views on ethics, knowledge, and the examined life. It has influenced Western Philosophical thought profoundly, inspiring discussions on the nature of justice, truth, and the role of the philosopher in society. 

Video 4 :- This tool will help improve your critical thinking - Erick Wilberding

Understanding :-

The Socratic Method, famously employed by Socrates and illustrated in dialogues by Plato and Xenophon, involves a process of questioning and probing assumptions to arrive at deeper understanding. In a dialogue with Euthydemus, for example, Socrates challenges the young man's understanding of justice by posing hypothetical scenarios that force him to reconsider his initial conclusions. This method aims not only to uncover the flaws in one's thinking but also to guide them towards a clearer and more reasoned understanding of complex concepts like justice. Socrates likened his role to that of a midwife, helping others give birth to their own ideas, own knowledge, own understanding, own experience, own thoughts through careful questioning and examination.

In the Renaissance, it was used in medical education to teach clinical reasoning, and later applied to sciences like astronomy and mathematics. During the Protestant Reformation, it tackled abstract questions of faith, and in legal education, it became a cornerstone for teaching judicial reasoning. The success of the Socratic Method hinges on the educator's skill in guiding discussions with humility and curiosity, rather than dominating with superior knowledge. Socrates himself, while a pioneer of this method, was critical of Athenian democracy, which contributed to his trial and eventual death sentence. Despite this, his legacy endures as a model of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking.

Thinking is very significant in all works. When you think about something you need or your work at that time, you get some new ideas, new thoughts, and new creativity. Thinking is exploring some major art, talent, and artist to create something useful and valuable. Thinking is a journey of innovation, imagination, creative writing, creative activities, and many more aspects. Thinking teaches us to believe in your efforts, believe in your beliefs, and believe in reality as well. First you think, then you start the work on it, and then you learn something from it. After your success in your work or anything, it's a very useful and strategic way to be remarkable. It is also a fast way to make more enemies.