Pre-Socratics, Essay Example

Death, Knowledge, and Philosophy

Socrates does not think that death is something that people should be afraid of. Socrates stated that a man of any worth should not reckon the chances of life and death in every chance that he takes. People should have the duty to remain and face life’s dangers without thinking of death as the outcome. According to Socrates, people should do the right thing without considering the consequences of weighing the danger of death.

Socrates does not know what death is. Socrates states that claiming that he knows death would be trying to be wiser than he is. Socrates also claimed that fearing death is acting like one knows something that they do not know because no one knows whether death may or may not be the greatest good that can ever happen to a man. Socrates claimed that people fear death as if they are sure that it is the greatest of all evil. When Socrates was tried, he said that death as a penalty was the most straightforward form of punishment. Therefore, for Socrates, death is an object of ignorance because people think that sentencing people to death is ignorant because it is only a possible evil. There is a relationship between death and fear-based on choosing a known evil over a potential evil. People who do not fear death have more self-awareness because they are not afraid of life. People in power view the death penalty as a way of instilling fear because they regard death as the greatest form of punishment. To avoid death, people become victims of bondage and lordship.

The Growth of Knowledge and Remembrance

Popper claims that the pursuit of truth is always historical and changes over time, while Plato stated that the pursuit for truth is timeless and it’s always the same and certain for all inquirers no matter where and when. Based on their arguments, Popper and Plato can both be correct because while history changes. There are some aspects of it that do not change. For example, Pythagoras invented precise ratios that are still used today. Similarly, early philosophers regarded the earth as being flat. However, due to technological changes and more information, the world is mostly regarded as being round. Both philosophers also show that for things to change, they must remain the same so that a comparison can be made. This is because both of them were addressing the same topic, which is the truth. For Popper, the truth changes over time, making it an evolved truth. For Plato, the truth remains the same no matter where and when.

Thus, Popper’s claim is more convincing because the world changes in ways that can be seen. Even when the world changes, it remains the same. For example, when a building is constructed in a previously bare place, the location’s appearance changes, but its coordinates do not change. Therefore, Pooper was right to claim that the pursuit of the truth takes different forms, but it changes over time. Plato claims that the pursuit of truth does not change and remains similar over time, which is questionable. In describing the shape of the earth, early and modern science has a common pursuit, the earth’s shape. According to Popper, more research changed the truth, showing that the earth is round. By claiming that the pursuit of truth remains constant, Plato would be insinuating that no further research should be conducted to learn more about the original truth.