Platos Life Essay - 747 Words

Platos Life Plato was born in Athens, about 427 B.C., and died there about 347 B.C. In early life Plato saw war service and had political ambitions. However, he was never really sympathetic to the Athenian democracy and he could not join wholeheartedly in its government. He was a devoted follower of Socrates, whose disciple he became in 409 B.C., and the execution of that philosopher by the democrats in 399 B.C. was a crushing blow. He left Athens, believing that until â€Å"kings were philosophers or philosophers were kings† things would never go well with the world. ( He traced his decent from the early kings of Athens and perhaps he had himself in mind). For several years he visited the Greeks cities of Africa and Italy,†¦show more content†¦Plato’s works, perhaps the most consistently popular and influential philosophic writings ever published, consist of a series of dialogues in which the discussions between Socrates and others are presented with infinite charm. Most of our knowledge of Socrates is from these dialogues, which views are Socrates’ and which are Plato’s is anybody ‘s guess. ( Plato cautiously never introduced himself into any of the dialogues. Like Socrates, Plato was chiefly interested in moral philosophy and despised natural philosophy ( that is, science ) as an inferior and unworthy sort of knowledge. There is a famous story (probably apocryphal and told also of Euclid of a student asking Plato the application of the knowledge he was being taught. Plato at once ordered a slave to give the student a small coin that the might not think he had gained knowledge for nothing, then had him dismissed from school. To Plato, knowledge had no practical use, it existed for the abstract good of the soul. Plato was found of mathematics because of its idealized abstractions and its separation from the merely material. Nowadays, of course, the purest mathematics manages to be applied to the heavens. The heavenly bodies, he believed, exhibited perfect geometric form. This he expresses most clearly in a dialogue called Timaeus in which he presents his scheme of the universe. He describes the five ( and only five) possible regular solids– that is, those with equivalent faces and with allShow MoreRelatedPlatos Views On Life And Death1859 Words   |  8 Pagesfocusing on nonphysical forms as a means to the truth, Plato uniquely analyzes the true implications of life and death. Plato applies his personal viewpoints on the connection between soul and body in order to direct people towards an appropriate approach to life and prepare them for what to expect after. After much conversation with others, Plato created his own firm ideals about the topics of life and death that I am later going to compare to my own. Philosophers are known to be avid seekers of knowledgeRead MorePlatos The Apology : The Meaning Of Life759 Words   |  4 PagesPlato’s â€Å"The Apology† takes places in Athens in 399 BC. Socrates, a natural philosopher, is put on trial and accused of failing to recognize the god of Athens, creating new deities, and corrupting the minds of the city youth. The Athenians, Anytus, Meletus, and Lycon fear that Socrates’ teachings lack respect for the legal customs and religious beliefs established in the city and could create a damaging effect on Athens’ community (Dan I.(n.d.). In this piece, Plato writes an account of Socrates’Read MorePlatos Happiest Way of Life Essay780 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos Happiest Way of Life A just life in a just society would be the happiest possible way to live for Plato. Justice is defined as a balanced and well-integrated specialization of functions both within the scope of society and the individual. The just society classifies its members on the basis of individual differences in intellectual and physical abilities and is therefore warranted. The way to achieve a happy life is only half satisfied with the presence of a just society. Other thanRead MorePlatos Views on Life after Death1388 Words   |  6 PagesPlatos views on life after death were manifold, and developed over time as an examination of a bevy of his literature readily indicates. However, during all phases of his writing he does demonstrate that there is in fact life after physical death, which is widely attributed to his notion of the soul. Plat always viewed the soul as an entity that was distinct from the physical body. Moreover, while the physical body was destined to die, the soul was enduring, i nterminable, and destined to go on somewhereRead More Life Of Lycurgus, And Platos Allegory Of The Cave1043 Words   |  5 Pagesfollowing texts: The Enchiridion by Epictetus, Plutarch’s ‘Life of Lycurgus,’ and Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†. Each of which, play a role in achieving a stronger community. While the laws instilled in citizens reflect a leader’s inspiration, confidence creates prudence to ensure the stability of a state. A leader’s inspiration contributes to the development of the laws enforced, which leads to a stable society. In Plutarch’s ‘Life of Lycurgus,’ Lycurgus gains inspiration from his travels toRead MoreA Critical Analysis Of Citizen Life In Platos The Republic1552 Words   |  7 PagesThis philosophical study will compare the two paradigmatic regimes of the aristocracy and tyranny and also provide a critical analysis of citizen life in Plato’s The Republic. The similarities between Socrates’ definition of the Philosopher King of the aristocracy and the tyrant are that a single ruler governs over the republic. In some ways, the empowerment of a single individual provides a catalyst for an aristocratic engagement of the nobleman to support this form of governance. In these seeminglyRead MoreShutter Island : A Life In The Cave : Platos Allegory Of The Cave1677 Words   |  7 PagesHayley Vlaz-Troutman Professor Mileo Philosophy 243 17 Septemeber 2017 Shutter Island: A life in the cave Plato’s Allegory of the Cave dates back many years. However, it is relevant today in many ways. This view can be observed and experienced in our society, in our personal ways of thinking and being, and in many cinematic adventures one can enjoy. I chose to look at it in terms of personal application to find its relevancy andRead MoreImmanuel Kant : A Worthwhile Life In Platos Five Dialogues1632 Words   |  7 PagesWhat determines â€Å"a life worth living† has remained a question philosophers have asked since the birth of philosophy. Socrates, a well-known philosopher puts it simply: â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living† (Plato 41). Now, this is wonderful advice if one could only figure out what exactly an â€Å"examined† life would consist of. While Socrates, through Plato’s Five Dialogues, provides a method for examination, it is not very clear what is always right or wrong. Immanuel Kant through his work, GroundworkRead MoreE ssay about The Value of Life in Plato’s Cave and the Divided Lines674 Words   |  3 Pages Plato’s Cave and the Divided Lines People must learn the value of life and the difference between living a dream and making your dreams come true. Being considered a father in western philosophy, Plato presented the Divided Line and Plato’s Cave to show the differences between the intelligent and visible world people live in; as the visible world being a world of one’s own reflections and shadowing’s, while the intelligent world is about the mind and thoughts. Plato uses a complex dialogue ofRead MoreIn the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.†1000 Words   |  4 PagesIn the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† David Foster Wallace expands on this idea in his â€Å"Kenyon College 2005 Commencement Address,† pointing out the importance of awareness and escaping the natural, default-setting of an unconscious, self-centred life. While commencem ent speeches are typically epideictic—celebratory—in nature, Wallace takes a deliberative rhetorical stance. According to Fahnestock, deliberative discourse is used in order

Taking a Look at Indian Removal - 751 Words

Indian removal was a 19th-century course of action to forcefully migrate Native Americans. It started with tribes living on land east of the Mississippi River being forced to move to the west. The ethnic cleansing did not stop there, but instead began to spread. Impatient for land, settlers harassed the government to acquire more Indian Territory. However, throughout the seemingly innocent relocation process many Native American tribes were deceived through treaties and poorly treated. Resentment of the Cherokee had been accumulating for some time before it reached its peak following the unearthing of gold in northern Georgia. White communities were possessed with gold fever and the desire to expand their lands. With this in mind, the U.S. government decided it was time for the Cherokees to be removed. Senators Daniel Webster and Henry Clay were against the removal of the Cherokee. The missionary to the Cherokees challenged Georgia’s attempt to eliminate their title to land in Georgia. His case went before the Supreme Court and he won. According to the Cherokee Nation, â€Å"Worcester vs. Georgia, 1832 and Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia, 1831 are considered the two most influential legal decisions in Indian law.† Georgia won the case in 1831 but in Worcester vs. Georgia, the Supreme Court declared Cherokee sovereignty. In spite of the court’s decision, President Andrew Jackson ordered the removal of the Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation believes †Å"this act established the U.S.Show MoreRelatedHow We Are Affected by Peoples Views of Nature871 Words   |  3 PagesGreat West by William Cronon, The Ecological Indian by Shepard Krech III, and Somethings Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal by Silas House makes it easy to comprehend and to answer how our views of nature have changed. Looking all the way back to the early Indians, Shepard Krech III, the author of The Ecological Indian, the Indians were not the â€Å"one with nature† individuals you thought they were. Most people that first think of the Indians were â€Å"one with nature† because of movies andRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of The Indian Removal1518 Words   |  7 PagesIndian Removal Looking throughout the overwhelming events the American Revolution had on everyone involved, allows us to examine how the governments’ policies toward the Indians changed over time. It shows how the policy changes effected the Indians as well as the Americans’, their attitudes toward each other as the American’s pushed westward and the Indians resisted. Then the actions on both sides which lead up to the final removal of all Indians to west of the Mississippi in 1830’s. The governmentRead MoreAmerica has many presidents who are still remembered with their legacies, but President Andrew1200 Words   |  5 PagesAndrew Jackson’s presidency is a history of which the Native American will never forget. Jackson’s democracy was not in support for women to vote, and black men to join in armies. The people who paid the greatest price through his presidency were the Indian tribes, whom he forced to move from their land which belonged to their ancestors. Therefore, in 1800s all the five civilizer tribes are Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws, Seminoles and Cherokee wanted to adopt European ways of living for them to surviveRead MoreHow The Cherokee Nation Can Overcome Generational Ptsd1640 Words   |  7 PagesKristin Quick Term Project 3-7-2016 How the Cherokee Nation Can Overcome Generational PTSD. The Removal Act of 1830, that forced the Cherokee Indians from their homelands with just the clothes on their backs have created tragic effects which have continued to be passed down from generation to generation, causing a near loss of the Cherokee culture. In 1838, the United States Military utilizing surprise attacks, snatched Cherokee families from their homes, work, and play at bayonet point to faceRead MoreThe Indian Removal Act Of 1830865 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the Indian Removal act of 1830 was enacted, the Cherokee Nation panicked. The Cherokee, specifically the romanticized Tsali, did their best to preserve their culture in the mountains of North Carolina, but what really saved them from their harsh fate that so many other Cherokee faced, was there white chief, William Holland Thomas. The Cherokee were â€Å"disagreeable and dangerous neighbors,† but they had a powerful ally in Raleigh, who saved the Eastern Band from a much harsher fate. The EasternRead MoreThe War Of The United States1616 Words   |  7 PagesFurthermore, Mexican immigrants are continuously blamed for crimes such as drug trafficking, murder, and theft, despite there being no clear connection between the two. Such hate crimes and stereotypes are the result of the concept that immigrants are taking over the country and poisoning the true American ideals. A combination of all these factors has created a hostile environment for immigrants in the United States. Surely, there must be a simple solution to Americans and immigrants living in peaceRead MoreThe Cherokee Indians By Hernando De Soto1497 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cherokee Indians lived in North American far longer than any other British decent or human being. Still they were compelled to move from their property (land), which was done in a fierce way, which had been theirs for quite a long time and hundreds of years. This excursion of evacuation was known as the Trail of Tears, and this paper will demonstrate the impa cts this moved had on the Cherokee individuals. It will let you know how they lived before they were compel to moved, clarify the occasionsRead MoreNative American Self Determination Movement1441 Words   |  6 Pageson from this last point the Native American self-determination movement has achieved almost all of its victories without outside help. Indeed many organisations such as the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA) are run by and for Native Americans and their interests. As with most civil rights movements but even more the case as Native Americans have their own sovereign citizenship, forRead MoreComparison of How Spain, France, Britian, and America Interacted with the Natives1345 Words   |  5 Pageswitness to the Florida Indians. For most of the 1600’s the Franciscan missions were the preverbal mediator between the Indians of Florida and the people of Spain. It was also reported that the Native people that lived in away from the missions did not feel the religious squeeze, but were however, still within the reach of the sickness brought over from Europe. The Indians that lived in the villages close to the missionaries started to change slowly. The ways that the Florida Indians had known their wholeRead MoreAmerican Imperialism And Expansion Of America Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Imperialism and Expansion What is American Imperialism? It is the influences that the United States makes on other countries. Some of the influences are economics, military, and culture. Expansionism is conquering those countries and taking over the land. Without imperialism and expansionism, our county would not be as big and productive as it is in today s society. In the nineteenth century, Many Americans saw western expansionism as the nation s manifest destiny. It is a

Living in 1984 Free Essays

George Orwell’s horrendous yet prophetic vision of the future in his novel, 1984 has come and gone. In this nightmarish novel, Oceania, where the story takes place, is the perfect depiction of â€Å"Negative Utopia† in which the government is in total control of their citizens. They control every aspect of their life. We will write a custom essay sample on Living in 1984 or any similar topic only for you Order Now From the smallest things as the clothes their citizen wore on a daily basis to the person they were allowed to marry to their thoughts. Freedom of choice and thought was unquestionable and was not allowed and anything or anyone that went against this principle or resisted oppression was completely suppressed themselves. Now, in 2006 under our current government there are a lot of similarities between the haunting novel of the â€Å"Negative Utopia† which George Orwell portrays in†¦.. Living in 1984-Today George Orwell’s horrendous yet prophetic vision of the future in his novel, 1984 has come and gone. In this nightmarish novel, Oceania, where the story takes place, is the perfect depiction of â€Å"Negative Utopia† in which the government is in total control of their citizens. They control every aspect of their life. From the smallest things as the clothes their citizen wore on a daily basis to the person they were allowed to marry to their thoughts. Freedom of choice and thought was unquestionable and was not allowed and anything or anyone that went against this principle or resisted oppression was completely suppressed themselves. Now, in 2006 under our current government there are a lot of similarities between the haunting novel of the â€Å"Negative Utopia† which George Orwell. How to cite Living in 1984, Papers