Post by nechiverri on Mar 7, 2016 6:01:35 GMT
1. Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
a. Socrates was taken to trial and sentenced to death because Mellitus and the state of Athens charged him with corrupting the youth and impiety. Many believe there was inside motives and power struggle within Athens, and Socrates, who was a well-recognized philosopher and taught many students such as Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle became an innocent target; thankfully, his students carried his teaching on in their works. Like many great men, Socrates’ teaching and philosophies were ahead of his time. This was unsettling for people in power in Athens. Socrates was put on trial in front of a jury for “corrupting the youth in his teaching” and secondly “that he did not believe in the gods recognized by the State”, and finally, creating new gods. In “How Socrates Died” (page 2), Socrates goes on to show “that in several instances he conformed to the religious customs of his country, and that he believes in God more than he fears man.” Throughout the reading we are able to see the steady calmness of Socrates, and how he refrains from reacting with rage and believes in peaceful righteousness. Although many of Socrates allies begged him to flee so that he can escape death, Socrates replied to his friends and explained “it is wrong to return evil for evil … his duty is to submit to the laws of Athens at whatever cost to himself” (page 2). With Socrates actions during this time he was able to teach his students the importance of standing up to evil and not running away from it because when you don’t fear death itself, then no man can have any power over you or your thoughts.
2. Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion?
a. The conflict between science and religion is an ageless debate. The discussion of where we come from and how we got here is something that is been a mystery for many centuries. Since the ancient civilizations (Egyptians & Eridu) there has been a belief in god(s) and how they have control of and created everything. As civilizations developed, polytheism has become less popular and monotheism (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) has become a driving force. Even though the number of gods has shifted, the main belief that god(s) created us and we are here for a specific reason has been the center of religious belief continuously. Since the ancient Egyptians, the belief that when we die we are going to an afterlife, which would be our Heaven, has been common. Science, which is, based solely on facts from experiments and observations, is fundamentally 180 degrees different than religion. Where religion relies on faith/belief, science depends on facts/observations. From Darwin and the belief of evolution that we evolved from sea creatures to land animals to human beings is commonly believed in the science community from the studies of Darwin and experiments. With religion this evolution doesn’t occur for human beings, as God created man and woman (Adam & Eve) and as the bible states God created the universe, the earth, the sun, moon and stars, plants and animals, and the first two people within six ordinary days. So it is easy to see why the conflict between the two exists. Truly no one knows which is right or wrong, and no one has come back from the dead and confirmed religious beliefs’ existence. As time passes people are becoming more open minded and there are many who believe God has given human beings the free will to expand our knowledge and learn how we are made up of atoms and how our universe functions. In the last hundred years we have learned so much in numerous fields such as physics, technology, energy, medicine just to show that instead of fighting and proving each other wrong science and religion is better suited to work together to help explain what each other can not.
a. Socrates was taken to trial and sentenced to death because Mellitus and the state of Athens charged him with corrupting the youth and impiety. Many believe there was inside motives and power struggle within Athens, and Socrates, who was a well-recognized philosopher and taught many students such as Plato, Xenophon, and Aristotle became an innocent target; thankfully, his students carried his teaching on in their works. Like many great men, Socrates’ teaching and philosophies were ahead of his time. This was unsettling for people in power in Athens. Socrates was put on trial in front of a jury for “corrupting the youth in his teaching” and secondly “that he did not believe in the gods recognized by the State”, and finally, creating new gods. In “How Socrates Died” (page 2), Socrates goes on to show “that in several instances he conformed to the religious customs of his country, and that he believes in God more than he fears man.” Throughout the reading we are able to see the steady calmness of Socrates, and how he refrains from reacting with rage and believes in peaceful righteousness. Although many of Socrates allies begged him to flee so that he can escape death, Socrates replied to his friends and explained “it is wrong to return evil for evil … his duty is to submit to the laws of Athens at whatever cost to himself” (page 2). With Socrates actions during this time he was able to teach his students the importance of standing up to evil and not running away from it because when you don’t fear death itself, then no man can have any power over you or your thoughts.
2. Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion?
a. The conflict between science and religion is an ageless debate. The discussion of where we come from and how we got here is something that is been a mystery for many centuries. Since the ancient civilizations (Egyptians & Eridu) there has been a belief in god(s) and how they have control of and created everything. As civilizations developed, polytheism has become less popular and monotheism (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) has become a driving force. Even though the number of gods has shifted, the main belief that god(s) created us and we are here for a specific reason has been the center of religious belief continuously. Since the ancient Egyptians, the belief that when we die we are going to an afterlife, which would be our Heaven, has been common. Science, which is, based solely on facts from experiments and observations, is fundamentally 180 degrees different than religion. Where religion relies on faith/belief, science depends on facts/observations. From Darwin and the belief of evolution that we evolved from sea creatures to land animals to human beings is commonly believed in the science community from the studies of Darwin and experiments. With religion this evolution doesn’t occur for human beings, as God created man and woman (Adam & Eve) and as the bible states God created the universe, the earth, the sun, moon and stars, plants and animals, and the first two people within six ordinary days. So it is easy to see why the conflict between the two exists. Truly no one knows which is right or wrong, and no one has come back from the dead and confirmed religious beliefs’ existence. As time passes people are becoming more open minded and there are many who believe God has given human beings the free will to expand our knowledge and learn how we are made up of atoms and how our universe functions. In the last hundred years we have learned so much in numerous fields such as physics, technology, energy, medicine just to show that instead of fighting and proving each other wrong science and religion is better suited to work together to help explain what each other can not.