The Apology “Gentlemen, I am your very grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a greater obedience to God than to you; and so long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practising philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet. ” This particular quote was used by Socrates in his defense in the Apology by Plato. Socrates was the first philosopher to go against society and the beliefs of the general community, which he was punished for. In the Apology Socrates is on trial for believing in a higher god and becoming a prophesy to him and his beliefs, virtues and morals.
While reading this story and this quote the terms or phrases that caught my attention were “obedience to God” and “truth. ” “Obedience is the act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance” (Dictionary). By saying that he owes a greater obedience to God than to you shows that Socrates believes that he is not guilty because he considers himself a preacher of God’s beliefs and virtues. Socrates believes that living a moral life is how everyone should live and that everyone should follow and refuses to stop his teachings because he feels it would be disobeying and disgracing God.
Socrates believes that God has given him the gift and the duty to inform the people of Athens and to make them think more in depth about their lives and their values. He considers himself the gadfly of the city and refuses to stop his practices. His practicing of philosophy Socrates knew that duty to the Gods and to his duty to moralize society may cause him to have to go against everyone else’s beliefs and pay for the consequences. “Truth is a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle that is told or expressed” (Dictionary).
Socrates is in the pursuit of the good, which in this case is the virtue of truth. The virtue of truth helps to build ones character. Socrates had the opportunity to take back everything he has taught or to lie about not believing in a high power but the fact that he stood by his beliefs and told the truth about his actions shows that he has the ability to act in the right way even though he may have to suffer consequences. He lives an ethical life and without obeying virtues you cannot be ethical.
Although he is being tried for not believing in the Gods and corrupting the moral of minors, all he has to do is take back everything he has taught and spoken and he would be acquitted. However, Socrates is willing to die for his love for truth, wisdom and knowledge. Truth, wisdom, and knowledge are a few of the many virtues that he lives his life by and inclined to act by these virtues no matter what. Work Cited Dictionary. com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary. com. Web. 08 Oct. 2009. . Class discussions