Major theistic religions see God as a lawgiver who creates laws for us to obey. This notion, later elaborated upon and coined the Divine Command Theory, was once pondered by the Greek philosopher Socrates. In a recorded dialogue, he posed what is considered to be one of the greatest philosophical questions in history: Is conduct right because God commands it or does God command it because it is right? This question has created a very large philosophical puzzle.
This question presents a major dilemma if we accept the theological conception of right and wrong. .
Say we are to take the former option of Socrates question and assume that the right conduct is right because God commands it. For example, God commands that truthfulness is right. According to this, the only reason to be truthful is that God requires it of us. Aside from God's divine command, truthfulness is neither right nor wrong. God's command justifies and dictates that truthfulness is right. .
Taking this view leads us straight for trouble though; it designates God's commands as arbitrary. God could have, on a different day, given entirely different commands. Had God commanded us to be liars and never tell the truth, then lying would be right and truthfulness wrong. One might say that "God would never command us to lie; that would be wrong and why would God wish us to act wrongly?" However, we must remember that had God commanded lying, it would in fact be right. This view dictates that honesty was not always right; it only became right when God commanded it. Therefore, God had no more reason to command truthfulness then it's opposite. Morally speaking, this renders God's commands as arbitrary. .
A second problem arises with this view. Religious people feel quite strongly that God is not only all-powerful and all knowing but all good as well. Accepting the notion that right and wrong are defined by God's will, we reduce the previous notion on God's qualities to something devoid of meaning.
Throughout his endeavors Socrates found his virtue. ... I find that the argument that Socrates is the wisest, or more specifically that "there is none wiser " is pretty valid. ... "But Socrates, what is your occupation? ... Yet Socrates says he is not. ... In this respect, Socrates was wiser than any man. ...
In this speech, Socrates gives the jury the picture of himself that is normally portrayed others who are ignorant of his thinking, saying that he is known as a "wise man" who "ponders everything about the earth and investigates everything beneath it, and turns the weaker argument into the stronger" (18b-c, page 28, Defence of Socrates, Oxford World Classics, Plato). ... He begins in his first part of his defence by taking the example of Aristophanes" play "The Clouds" and looking the way in which a character called Socrates is portrayed. ... The second work looked at as a contrast to that of P...
The defense of the arguments that Socrates brought upon the jury described just how heroic he was. ... Instead of trying to bargain or lie his way out of the argument, Socrates took the problem on full force and felt that telling the truth was more important than lying to get out of a problem. The second argument that was brought upon Socrates was the offense of worshipping false gods (pg. 29, 26d). ... "If it is a complete lack of perception, like a dreamless sleep, then death would be a great advantage" (pg.41, 40d), says Socrates about death. Although he was being condemned to...
Socrates argument went like this, "One ought never to do wrong (even in response to the evil committed by another). ... But, after spending time looking at it, it startes to make more sense. ... I like how he kept digging until he found the answer he was looking for. In my mind Socrates was a great teacher and a honest man. ... He was a man of great virtue and should be looked upon like a hero. ...
Both statements to be looked at come from Plato's, Gorgias. ... Of course the situation that Achilles was in was somewhat different to Socrates situation but it was brought up in his argument to show how he feels about shame. ... In looking up the gadfly I found two defiinitions that may very well suit what Socrates meant by saying that he is a gadfly to Athens. ... Looking at it in this way makes me think that Socrates was being wise in scarasism as he addressed the Atheneans. ... But I must say that I find great humor in the second definition because it is so close to the trut...
Crito gives many arguments to persuade Socrates, but each of Crito's arguments is met with counterarguments by Socrates to accept his fate. ... Of course, the validity of this argument rests on other claims that Socrates has established earlier in the Crito. ... Several criticisms of this argument have, of course, arisen. ... The first criticism of Socrates argument is that Athens did not uphold its end of the agreement. ... If the agreement is impious it is not pleasing to the gods, and Socrates has already argued to Crito that when looking for the truth of matters of right and wrong th...
In other words, one day, if we looked hard enough, we would find THE TRUTH! ... Another similarity is that, "Socrates is interested in the arts of communication and argument, in techniques of persuasion (Melchert, 63)". ... Socrates replies to Crito's statement and also gives two arguments of his own defending the belief that escaping from prison would be wrong. ... Since Socrates concludes that Crito doesn't have a good argument he gives two arguments, which focus on the idea that escaping from prison is wrong. ... Socrates" other reply is the Argument from Gratitude. ...
Also, by looking at a painting or sculpture in a book cannot fully experience the artwork until I really see the real painting held within its walls. ... In the painting of Socrates by Jacque-Louis David, it was similar to what I read in the books, which is called," the death of Socrates". ... For example, in the painting before he was reaching the poison, his right arm is so relaxed and calm and he was looking away from the poison. ... The guard in the jail is not trying to control him or force him to drink the poison; the guard could not even bear to look at Socrates' face. ... What...
-Socrates (Plato 571) In the arguments that Socrates makes, what other people think does not matter. ... -Socrates (Plato 577) Socrates" argument moves from one of a general moral decision to the morality of his specific case. ... If he does escape, the state will lose some of that morality, and his children will be looked down upon. ... He had a great commitment to his state, therefore by disobeying it, he would be committing suicide in a sense. ... Socrates looked out for his state, while Crito's arguments were based on himself and how others would view him. ...
Certainly, we believe this great philosopher Socrates, whose passion for justice seems equaled only by his passion for reason, might seek to escape his undeserved sentence. ... Over the course of their dialogue, Crito offers several arguments in favor of Socrates" escape, and Socrates plays against each, offering each time a convincing counter-argument in favor of his own execution. The first argument of Crito's deals with the issue of his own public appearance, should Socrates" execution be carried out. ... Therefore, a subsequent argument proposed by Crito. ... Against a philosophica...