Socrates was a Greek influential thinker who investigated the general meaning of life. Explanation of the general meaning of life is so complex and vast that it is impossible to contain in a continuum. Socrates desired to acquire knowledge thus; he used various logical methods in the pursuit of the truth. His determination and willingness to call all into question enabled him to analyze the nature of many things. Socrates had great oratory and conversational skills. Even though he used to give a lot of public teaching, he did not write thus most of his work was put in writing by his students such as Plato and Xenophon. He is recognized as one of the enigma figures and founders of western philosophy. Many people believe that his reasoning brought a new dawn in thinking.
Life manifests itself in different forms thus; distinguishing it from other forms of existence is possible. Socrates and his friends widely analyzed the nature of human soul. He believed that the soul is what all human beings have in common. In fact, he likened one destroying the soul to the one actually destroying human nature. He believed that corruption destroys the soul and changes the nature of an individual. Corruption is an artificial process and is not above nature. Thus, he believed that corruption is the perversion to the way of life. Socrates thus emphasized the importance of virtues and stressed the need for everyone to examine their lives (Gleason, 2008).
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The foundations of the soul as described by Socrates include action, emotions attitudes and motives of the individual. Socrates believed that the human soul is not only immortal and invisible but that it directs and controls the physical body. He believed that the soul is the master whiles the body the servant. The soul is the master that not only governs but also rules the body, which is the servant. The servant serves, obeys and is subject to the soul. Socrates further likened the relationship between the soul and the body to divine and the mortal. The divine directs and rule while the mortal are subject and are serving. He believed that soul causes the body to be alive. Thus, death is the result of the soul ceasing to animate the body. It is therefore necessary for the soul to stay in the body for it to remain alive.
Socrates believed in instructional punishment. He was in support of punishments such as whipping, imprisonment and flogging. He argued that none could intentionally act in a wrong manner, but all wrong doings were due to lack of knowledge one can do wrong. This is the reason why he believed that there should be a government led by philosophers. During his last days while he was in prison waiting to be executed by the Athenian authorities, Socrates still had possessed and displayed the calm reflection on matters that he considered serious. He was neither angry nor bitter with the Athenian authorities. His friends such as Crito suggested to him foolproof plans to enable him escape from prison but he dismissed them. Instead, he engaged them in debates to proof to them about the moral worth of escaping from prison.
He dismissed such an action as irrelevant in reference to what he believed to be the right decision. He believed that the right decision is not necessarily, what the majority thinks but that which a person truly knows. He argued that truth should be the basis of action. Therefore, he engaged his friends in cautious reasoning and desired to enable the see a number of truths. The first one is that an individual should not do wrong even in reaction to an evil committed against him (Scott, 2002). His soul provided the framework thus; he examined his freedom and responsibility. He believed that he was in prison for what he considered as an evil being committed against him. This was hindering him from being a free man. Regardless of this, he still purposed to stay in prison and face death than to escape. He considered escaping as cowardice and an irresponsible action. He believed that it was his responsibility as a citizen in Athen to abide by the laws outlined by the state.
Secondly, he hoped to show that it is wrong for one to disobey the state. Of he could have escaped from prison, he would have disobeyed the state. Instead, he opted to face the death sentence given by the Athenian authorities. His escape would imply disobedience. He was committed to the right actions, which he believed are fundamental to moral life. We can analyze his actions in two lines of arguments. One, the state can be likened to a parent and an individual to a child. A child should obey his or her parent. Using the same reasoning, an individual should obey the state. Secondly, we can as well argue that it is not right for one to break an agreement. Since we live of our own free will in a state, we have the responsibility of obeying the state. The second line of reasoning is questionable since it is not clear that someone's choice of where he lives is a question of one's voluntary control. Socrates believed it was true even to the point that it cost him his life.
Citizens in the chambon movie would treat the views of Socrates issues differently. Socrates emphasizes the importance of virtues like truth and stresses the need for everyone to examine their lives. Mademoiselle Chambon and Mr. Jean go through processes that lead to the two falling in love, though Mr. Jean is married. First, they meet through invitation to the class of his son where Miss Chambon is the teacher. She invites him to her place. She plays violin and the melody awakes a romantic longing in Mr. Jean. The two meet again accidentally and she invites him again at her home. This leads to the two sharing a passionate kiss. The result is turmoil and inner conflict in the lives of the two.
Since Mr., Jean is married cheating on his wife results to corruption of his soul. Socrates believed that corruption destroys the soul and changes the nature of an individual. Since the soul is master, the body obeys its entire directive. The emotions that Mr. Jean entertains cause him to act in various ways. He develops the habit of sitting alone and meditating. On one occasion while sitting on the bluff, the string wind awakens a conflict in him. Miss Chambon experiences similar emotional changes whenever she is playing violin. Her soul drifts and she yearns deeply for an inner peace.
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The personal conflicts in individuals result in upheavals in families, communities, nations and spread throughout the world. If only individuals can calmly consider the moral worth of their actions and their consequences, they would make the right decisions (Philosophypages, 2006). Socrates argued that truth should be the basis of action. An individual who believes in truth can never go astray. Socrates likened the state to the soul and an individual to the body and by his actions showed that it was wrong for one to disobey the state. Thus, a man who fails to consider the dictates of his soul will suffer the consequences of his disobedience. Mr. Jean fails to live to what is morally accepted as truth and falls in love with a third party hence, he suffers at the end.