Post by tracyorigel on Feb 28, 2016 18:29:52 GMT
1. Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
According to the book, How Socrates Died, which features selections of dialogues from Plato, Socrates was sentenced to death after losing the trial brought against him by the accuser Meletus. In this trial he charged with two claims, one being that Socrates, the accused, had corrupted the youth of Athens with his philosophical teachings, the second being that Socrates worshipped deities that were unfamiliar to the city in which he lived. During the trial he goes on to say that the first charge brought against him is untrue. His evidence lies in the witnesses in the room, they having known him, would know the kind of person he is and since they knew then they would show the evidence of the charges brought against him and show it among themselves to convince each other. (MSAC, p. 31) At the same time he maintains his innocence, he truly doesn’t deny his involvement in teaching the youth, albeit not corrupting them.
The second charge brought against him was, as Meletus put it, he did “not believe in any gods at all.” (MSAC, p. 40) Socrates’ defense to this is that no man believes there are no demons, and that he himself believes and teaches about these demons; demons being the children of gods. By this alone, he says that how can someone believe there are demons, but then deny the existence of gods? As someone who teaches people about these demons, then it must surely mean that he also believes in gods. (MSAC, p. 41)
After having finished his defense the court is then allowed to deliver their judgment, despite his compelling testimony he is sentenced to death by poison.
References:
MSAC Philosophy Group. How Socrates Died. Trans. Henry Cary. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.
2. Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion? Be sure to support your answers with references to the required readings and films.
“No, by Jupiter, O judges! for he says that the sun is a stone, and the moon an earth.” (MSAC, p. 40) The conflict between science and religion has always seemed apparent, in both ancient and modern times. The aforementioned quote was said by Meletus to Socrates just after he had argued that he does believe that there are gods, such as the sun and the moon. Of course, this only chips away at the surface of a conflict that is continuously agitated by the newest discoveries in science. But why is there a conflict?
After reading The Great Mystery, new light has been shed on the disconcerting area. More or less, the conflict stems from a misunderstanding of terms or for lack of a better word, the connotation of the word ‘matter’ that is held dear to many people. When science sheds light on ‘matter’, it reduces humans down to basic particles found all around us, in the stars, in plants, and in our coffee cups. However to religion or spirituality reducing humans down to nothing more than being atoms is blaspheme since humans seem so much more extra-dimensional than that. However they fail to see beyond those reductions, as put plainly by the text matter is “as mysterious and as glorious as anything conjured up in our spiritual imaginations.” (Lane, p. 02)
References:
MSAC Philosophy Group. How Socrates Died. Trans. Henry Cary. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.
Diem-Lane, Andrea, and David C. Lane. The Great Mystery. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.
According to the book, How Socrates Died, which features selections of dialogues from Plato, Socrates was sentenced to death after losing the trial brought against him by the accuser Meletus. In this trial he charged with two claims, one being that Socrates, the accused, had corrupted the youth of Athens with his philosophical teachings, the second being that Socrates worshipped deities that were unfamiliar to the city in which he lived. During the trial he goes on to say that the first charge brought against him is untrue. His evidence lies in the witnesses in the room, they having known him, would know the kind of person he is and since they knew then they would show the evidence of the charges brought against him and show it among themselves to convince each other. (MSAC, p. 31) At the same time he maintains his innocence, he truly doesn’t deny his involvement in teaching the youth, albeit not corrupting them.
The second charge brought against him was, as Meletus put it, he did “not believe in any gods at all.” (MSAC, p. 40) Socrates’ defense to this is that no man believes there are no demons, and that he himself believes and teaches about these demons; demons being the children of gods. By this alone, he says that how can someone believe there are demons, but then deny the existence of gods? As someone who teaches people about these demons, then it must surely mean that he also believes in gods. (MSAC, p. 41)
After having finished his defense the court is then allowed to deliver their judgment, despite his compelling testimony he is sentenced to death by poison.
References:
MSAC Philosophy Group. How Socrates Died. Trans. Henry Cary. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.
2. Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion? Be sure to support your answers with references to the required readings and films.
“No, by Jupiter, O judges! for he says that the sun is a stone, and the moon an earth.” (MSAC, p. 40) The conflict between science and religion has always seemed apparent, in both ancient and modern times. The aforementioned quote was said by Meletus to Socrates just after he had argued that he does believe that there are gods, such as the sun and the moon. Of course, this only chips away at the surface of a conflict that is continuously agitated by the newest discoveries in science. But why is there a conflict?
After reading The Great Mystery, new light has been shed on the disconcerting area. More or less, the conflict stems from a misunderstanding of terms or for lack of a better word, the connotation of the word ‘matter’ that is held dear to many people. When science sheds light on ‘matter’, it reduces humans down to basic particles found all around us, in the stars, in plants, and in our coffee cups. However to religion or spirituality reducing humans down to nothing more than being atoms is blaspheme since humans seem so much more extra-dimensional than that. However they fail to see beyond those reductions, as put plainly by the text matter is “as mysterious and as glorious as anything conjured up in our spiritual imaginations.” (Lane, p. 02)
References:
MSAC Philosophy Group. How Socrates Died. Trans. Henry Cary. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.
Diem-Lane, Andrea, and David C. Lane. The Great Mystery. Walnut, CA: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014.