Post by bestmancilla on Mar 23, 2016 5:18:46 GMT
1) Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
As stated in How Socrates Died, the "Two charges were brought against Socrates--he did not believe in the gods recognized by the State, the other that he had corrupted the Athenian youth by his teachings” (pg1). Socrates went against the Athenian politics and society, trying to instill the idea of justice to this government, which was highly frowned upon. This was a huge factor and reasoning to his imprisonment and part of the reason for his execution. The fact that he tried to spread word about his ideas of these beliefs caused his imprisonment with charges from Melitus. The government sentenced his to death by the consumption of poisonous Hemlock. Socrates stood by his beliefs, and his viewing on this ultimatum was more positive than expected. As said in How Socrates Died, “Socrates is represented as commenting upon the sentence which has been passed upon him, and expressing his belief in that going to his death he is only passing to a better and happier life” (pg1). A strong, calm man he drinks the poison with his last words to his fellow friends and it killing him shortly after.
2) Why is there conflict between science and religion?
I believe there is huge controversy over science and religion due to several reasons, mainly the argument of where and how mankind came about. Some side with the faith and belief that we were brought into this life through a specific means by worshiping of a God or gods. The reason for belief in science is the theory and processes of evolution. In the short film, The Limits of Science, they discuss the “Cranial Limit: Science and its Boundaries”. I found this film to be extremely useful and meaningful in that, specific examples are used to explain and exemplify the limits that we are confined by. For example, “The limits of our skull, are the limits of our understanding”, this is the closing statement of the Limits of Science film, exhibiting the restrictions of science, which can be reasoning for those who support the belief of religion over that of science.
Extra Credit: The Life of Pythagoras
Pythagoras was born 569 BC in Samos, Ionia. An extremely intelligent individual, he was very interested in mathematics and astronomy. Two philosophers who greatly influenced Pythagoras where Thales who introduced mathematics and Anaximander whose focus was on geology and cosmology which inspired Pythagoras’ views. He visited Egypt and later adopted many of their traditional beliefs of priests, refusal of eating beans, the refusal of wearing clothes made of animal skin and belief of purity brought upon by Egyptian customs. He also founded a philosophical school and religious school in Croton where he taught and instilled his five beliefs.
Soon thereafter, his high concentration of mathematics not only a philosopher became known as a great mathematician of his time, developing and creating the Pythagorean Theorem. This is used still today in mathematics. It has been known that he taught at his school for 39 years spreading his teachings and beliefs throughout. This great philosopher had his loyal followers known as the Pythagoreans who referred to him as “the divine one”.