Critical Analysis Essay
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Philosophy
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Feb 20, 2024
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Nailah Cundiff Professor Paige
PHI2010
10 April 2023 Critical Analysis Essay
There are many beliefs and practices that have been discussed throughout history. Socrates
and Arjuna focus on a similar base of beliefs that puts them in an uncomfortable middle ground.
According to “Socrates”, Socrates was a Greek philosopher who was viewed by many as one of the founding figures of western philosophy. Growing up in the golden age of Pericles Athens, Socrates served with distinction as a soldier. He later became best known for inquiring about everything and everyone. His style of teaching better known as the Socratic method, involved not
conveying knowledge, instead asking question after clarifying question until his students arrived at their own understanding.
At the age of 70 years old Socrates was imprisoned and sentenced to death. He was brought
before the Athenian court on charges of impiety, which “is a perceived lack of proper respect for something considered sacred”. He was also charged with corrupting the youth. During his trial he
explained to the jury that his doings came from a prophecy by the Oracle at Delphi which claimed that he was the wisest of all men. Socrates felt that in order for him to obey and fulfill
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his duty as the wisest man he had to spread his wisdom to the people of Athens. In the “Impiety” article his overall duty was to question the supposed wise men and expose their false wisdom as ignorance. To the Athenians he wasn’t spreading wisdom around, he was embarrassing the wise men.
During his time spent in his prison cell after his sentence from the jury his old friend Crito pays him a visit. Crito’s plan is to smuggle his good friend out of prison before his execution. According to “The Apology”, Critos two arguments he brought before Socrates for getting him out were first, if he stayed, he would be aiding his enemies in wronging him unjustly and would thus be acting unjustly himself. Crito’s second argument was that he would be abandoning his sons and leaving them without a father if he didn’t escape from this death sentence. Basically, Socrates response was him breaking the law by breaking out if jail would be a great disservice to himself and the citizens who also abide by the laws.
He would rather try to get out by speaking with the law instead of breaking it. He also feels that he
would be punished in the afterlife for disobeying his city’s law.
Based on “Bhagavad Gita” Arjuna is facing a similar issue to Socrates because they have both
dedicated and committed to a way of life and belief system. However it has been compromised
based on events they have endured causing them to reflect on alternatives. Arjuna is speaking with
Krishna (God) about his distaste in war and murder. He doesn’t understand the point behind the
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actions. He explains that he doesn’t want to fight in the war because the people he has to fight are
his friends, family, teachers and superiors. Krishna encourages him to fight because it
is his duty as a warrior. Krishna says it would be a violation of his Dharma and honor therefore
becoming a sin. Arjuna makes a decision and decides not to fight.
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Works Cited
Bhagavad Gita Focuses on a Conversation between Arjuna and Krishna - Free Essay Example on
SupremeStudy.
Supremestudy.com
, 15 May 2021, supremestudy.com/bhagavad-gita. Accessed 7 April 2023
Editors, History com. “Socrates.”
HISTORY
, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/ancient-
greece/socrates
. Accessed 7 April 2023.
Impiety.
Wikipedia
, 7 Sept. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impiety. Accessed 7 April 2023
The Apology: Summary.
Sparknotes.com
, 2019, www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/summary/
. Accessed 7 April 2023