The Death Of Socrates Resides - 1324 Words

The Death of Socrates resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is by Jacques Louis David, a French painter from the eighteenth century. This particular piece was done in 1787 about an event that occurred 399 BC. Socrates was faced with a legal decision to renounce his teachings or drink a cup of hemlock, killing himself. Socrates’s teachings were hugely influential in Greece at that time and it sparked recognizable change in Athens particularly. Athenian authority saw his revolutionary thought as a threat and because of his teaching he refused to renounce his teaching. Even without this knowing the dramatic story of the great thinker and his demise, David’s piece is profoundly striking. The movement and placement of each character as well as the balance of shape and color provide a certain attraction to this piece. Additionally, it provides a great example of the intriguing cross between art and The Academy. David intelligently pays tribute to the height and power of ancient philosophy as well as modern art and this marriage makes for a greatly impactful piece of art. At first impression, the movement and layout are the most arresting part of this piece. Socrates, propped up on his deathbed, appears strong and stoic but at the same time somber and delicate. The anatomic accuracy of Socrates as well as the other characters provides a geometric structure. Whereas the light suspension of the different fabrics in the painting provide a soft fluidity and these twoShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Apology By Plato786 Words   |  4 Pagessentencing of the philosopher Socrates. It reads as a firsthand account of the testimony from both Socrates and his accusers, more often than not Socrates has a rather strong rebuttal for the accusations however in the end it was still not enough to save him from conviction. This trail being the culmination of decades of teaching throughout Athens, to guide people to the truth that resides inside them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the ideas and teachings that come from Socrates in the Apology, are at timesRead MorePlato s The Trial And Death Of Socrates Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesPlato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates presents the reader with complex competing conceptions of what should be considered â€Å"the good life†. According to Socrates, â€Å"the most important thing is not life, but the good life† (Crito, 48b). The majority, who live a non-philosophical life, believes the goods of life include wealth, reputation, and honor: all things that can easily be taken away or destroyed. On the other hand, Socrates lives a philosophical life filled with self-sufficiency. He views wisdomRead MoreSo What Exactly Happens After Death? Do We Reincarnate1314 Words   |  6 PagesSo what exactly happens after death? Do we reincarnate into a different form? Do we somehow take someone else’s body? The idea of what occurs after death has been controversy for many years. There’s has been theories and evidence that try to understand what exactly happens. According to Socrates he believes in the idea that there’s still life after death and the soul and the body are two separate things. Furthermore, his ideas would be considered what dualist beliefs. Meanwhile, another philosopherRead MoreFate Or Free Will?882 Words   |  4 Pagesinexplicable. Philosophically, there is an extremely diaphanous line separating free will and fate. Free will resides within one’s individuality; it has to do with the present. The how and when experiences that are within our controls that is free will. On the other hand, human beings do not have immortality, so one will never be capable enough to circumvent dying that is fate. Socrates was one of the most distinguished philosophers to demonstrate free will. He would demonstrate this by choosingRead MoreSocrates : The Power Of Knowledge932 Words   |  4 Pages philosopher Socrates touched many lives of the Athenians and lived to question the knowledge and intelligence of those he met. Socrates took joy in examining the world and self proclaims his own ignorance rather than living under the guise of being an expert. Student of Socrates, philosopher Plato grew in popularity around 400 B.C and strived to uncover the meanings behind ideas such as goodness, reality and beauty. While Socrates became infamous around Athens, and was later put to death for his coreRead MoreSocrates s Argument Against The Death Penalty1189 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was found guilty of the following accusations; corrupting the youth, believing in different gods, or being an atheist, and for â€Å"examining† the heavens above and the earth below. He inclined for a fine that could be paid instead of facing banishment, however, the court decided to give him the death penalty. There he slept in prison when Criton approached and attempted to persuade him to e scape. He declined as it would go against his logic and reasoning he taught his whole life. Was it â€Å"just†Read MoreThe Body And The Soul1153 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of the Distinctions of the Body and the Soul in the Philosophy of Socrates This philosophical study will define the distinctions of the body and the soul as defined in the philosophy of Socrates. In the Phaedo, Socrates defines the important distinction between the †visible† body and the â€Å"invisible† substance of the soul. Socrates defines the temporal and changing nature of the visible body, which is impermanent. In contrast to this view, the soul is a higher form of incomposite energyRead More No Harm Can Come to a Good Man Essay1159 Words   |  5 Pagesa Good Man Whether Socrates is portrayed correctly or not, he certainly was a great man. His contribution to western thought cannot be denied. For even if his teachings were different from what they are known to be at present, his influence on Plato is immense. And so, it is no small matter to describe the tragic passing of such a man as Socrates was and remains for philosophy today. Yet in all the indignation which is expected to arise at the death of Socrates, the panache with which heRead MoreThe Fear Of Death Is Meaningless984 Words   |  4 PagesThe fear of death is meaningless in this concept. But what are we fearing in death? Is it the unimaginable or our life afterwards? Socrates does not seem to explain this; he simply summarizes that if you lead a life, such as seeking true wisdom, the idea of fear does not exist. What completely is death? He explains it as the separation of the soul and body, but is there actually more to that? For instance, what occurs to your body once you ar e liberated? How can the soul be called pure if it taintedRead MoreThe Soul Stays the Same in Plato1270 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I think, Socrates, he said, that on this line of argument any man, even the dullest, would agree that the soul is altogether more like that which always exists in the same state rather than like that which does not† (Plato, Phaedo 79e) In this paper I will argue that the soul is not necessarily unchanging and eternal, as many of Plato’s arguments would suggest otherwise. The main reasons in support of this claim are that there are questionable conclusions that Plato had reached that challenge the