Socrates Man And Myth

The purpose of this book, first published in 1957, is to make a critical analysis of the controversial Socratic problem. The Socratic issue owes its paramount difficulty not only to the status of available source materials, but also to the diversity of opinion as to the proper use of these materials. This volume offers a new approach to the problem, and a starting point to further investigations.

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Plato and Xenophon: Apologies compares two key dialogues on the death of Socrates. Socrates was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth of ancient Athens and was tried, convicted, imprisoned, and executed. Both Plato and Xenophon make clear that the charges were not brought forward in the spirit of true piety, and that Socrates was a man of real virtue and beneficence. To this day, his trial and execution remain a mark upon the democracy that put him to death. These dialogues underscore the limitations of democratic relativism and emphasize the nature of philosophy or the free mind. Plato’s Apology of Socrates is both poetry and an act of reformation, justifying the life of philosophy, challenging the authority of the pagan gods and heroes, and introducing Socrates as a heroic and even divine figure. In contrast, Xenophon’s Socrates is not dialectical and otherworldly, but makes a different appeal for philosophy. From Xenophon emerges the heroic tradition of Plutarch with its reflections on the virtues and vices of great historical men. Focus Philosophical Library translations are close to and are non-interpretative of the original text, with the notes and a glossary intending to provide the reader with some sense of the terms and the concepts as they were understood by Plato and Xenophon’s immediate audience.

As a student of Socrates, Xenophon, like Plato, is an authority on Socrates. Except for the dialogues of Plato, Xenophon's writings are the only surviving representatives of the genre of Socratic dialogue. These works include Xenophon's Apology, Memorabilia, Symposium, and Economist. The Symposium outlines the character of Socrates as he and his companions discuss what attribute they take pride in. In Economist, Socrates explains how to manage a household. Both the Apology and Memorabilia defend Socrates' character and teachings. The former is set during the trial of Socrates, essentially defending Socrates' loss and death, while the latter is a defense of Socrates, explaining his moral principles and that he was not a corrupter of the youth. Content: Introduction: The Life of Socrates Socrates According to Xenophon: Memorabilia Apology The Economist Symposium Hiero

In this engrossing exploration of martyrdom, Lacey Baldwin Smith takes us on a riveting journey through history as he examines one of the most baffling characteristics of the human species: its willingness to die to sanctify a deity, to defend a cause, or simply to prove a point. In telling the stories of his chosen martyrs, by delving into their psyches, politics, and remarkable personalities, he illuminates the complex and elusive subject of martyrdom as it has evolved over two and a half millennia. The story starts with Socrates, the Western world's first recorded martyr, and moves on to Judaic and early Christian martyrs: the Maccabees and their heroic suffering; Jesus of Nazareth and the impact of the crucifixion on his message; and Saint Perpetua, who died spectacularly in a Roman amphitheater. The narrative then transports us to England: to Archbishop Thomas Becket and his sensational murder at the altar of his own cathedral in Canterbury; to Sir Thomas More, who died Henry VIII's "good servant but God's first" ; to the Protestant martyrs under Catholic Mary Tudor; and to Charles I, the only English king to be tried and executed as a traitor. The concluding chapters cover modern martyrdom as it has become increasingly secularized and entangled with treason. They include John Brown, whose "body lies a-mouldering in the grave but whose soul" goes marching on, Mahatma Gandhi and his school for martyrs, the Holocaust and its impact on modern Jewish thought, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Hitler, and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's execution for giving secret information about the atomic bomb to the USSR. The book ends with the troubling figure of SS Lieutenant Kurt Gerstein and the ultimate question: Is there such a person as a totally disinterested martyr? Fools and traitors to some, heroes to others, all the men and women who appear here have helped shape our definition of martyrdom. The questions Lacey Baldwin Smith raises, and the way he brings the past to life, make this a uniquely compelling book.

Socrates was a plain man in both dress and manner. He possessed a sharp point of view that placed him in an unusual and sometimes challenging place in a society that did not appreciate individualism. Yet it was that individualism that made him so special.Socrates was the teacher of young, receptive men of ancient Athens, Greece, and he was beloved by his students. His students Plato and Xenophon introduced the world to Socrates. They wanted the world to understand Socrates's philosophies and concepts.In book two of our series, Be A Great Thinker, we will examine Socrates's life and philosophy. We will focus on what made Socrates such a unique and dominant force and how his remarkable life and fascinating death changed the course of western philosophy. Socrates brought the world a new way to question everything. We show you how he created critical thinkers through his methods while embracing individualism. His ideas help others to live their best life, and we will show you how his words still resonate in today's more complex world.Take a journey with us into the thoughts and philosophy of Socrates and discover how this great teacher, a man who lived a couple of thousand years ago, still has a profound impact on today's impressionable minds.