Post by jessjord on Aug 28, 2015 18:11:25 GMT
Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
Socrates was the founder of Western Philosophy. He questioned almost everything other individuals may have took for granted or didn't even stop to think about. He would talk to many Athenians and encourage them to listen to their own inner voices and ask questions. Get them to ask questions about anything, life, values, gods etc. and if they did not know the answer, to continue to ask until they got answers. He did not propose any certain type of religion or belief onto the people of Athens, but rather show the Athenians how to think for ones self by debating, thinking or questioning what had always been taught to them. He believed that self knowledge was the ultimate form of ones self. He even stated that "The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."
Socrates was a free thinker himself, and many Athenians did not like it. He questioned their morals, values and their "so-called" gods to which they had no response and no answers to his questions that were being asked. So Meletus, one of the three accusers, was described to be " a beak, and long straight hair and a beard which is ill grown"(Plato,5) whom accused Socrates of corrupting their youth and showing lack of "impiety" to their gods. Meletus was angry and determined to show the court that Socrates was doing wrong in the city of Athens. During the trial, Socrates took a strong stand to his words as he defended himself in "The Apology of Socrates" but in no way apologizing for his conduct. It was then that he was sentenced to death. Sentenced to death because he showed "impiety" to their gods recognized by the state and had "corrupted" the Athenian youth by his teachings. He was given the option to go to prison or exile where he would not be able to teach. But Socrates believed that "a life without investigation is not worth living for.." (Plato, 54) He ended up being condemned by the judges to die by drinking from the poisonous hemlock.
Socrates took to believe that there was a lot more out there then what the Athenians spoke of. He believed in the knowledge and had a love for wisdom. It made me believe that at times we do not see that "the limits of our skulls, is the limits to our understanding." (TLS Video) and that maybe just maybe if we choose to remember for ourselves that "Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." we as well, will think freely and question everything that is amongst us as well and develop and gain the knowledge as Socrates once tried to facilitate.
Citations:
Plato.How Socrates Died. Walnut:MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014. 91. PDF.
(The Limits of Science: Illuminated Ideas in 56 seconds [youtube]. (n.d.)
Why is there a conflict between science and religion?
In today's society, I can only imagine the constant battle people have between science and religion. I personally know many individuals of religion that believe there could be no wrong or error to what the bible states. As well as I can understand how scientists believe to what they can see and not what they cannot see nor explain (ex: miracles,supernatural events etc.) However, personally I believe that there cannot be any conflict between science and religion, because one cannot prove the other to be wrong. Because God... is beyond nature, God is one that cannot be explained, he cannot be explained simply because it was written in a book and he cannot be non-existent because scientist cannot see, explain him or the super natural aspects that happen in life. In the book "The Great Mystery Matter vs. Spirit" they quote the founder of Skeptic magazine Michael Shermer, who stated it better that "there can be no conflict between science and religion,unless one attempts to bring God into our time and space..." (Diem-Lane, 32) meaning, the only way to start conflict between science and religion is to merely see God as "matter" then to just believe him to be in the heavens.
Citations:
Diem-Lane, Diane, and David Christopher Lane. The Great Mystery. Walnut: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014. PDF.