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Comparing Pericles Funeral Oration And Plato's Crito

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Pericles’ Funeral Oration and Plato’s Crito provide contrasting perspectives on citizenship and the obligations of citizens in democracy. In the Funeral Oration, I think that the obligations of citizens in a democracy are portrayed as both an honor and a duty, deeply intertwined with the collective greatness of the state. Pericles emphasizes the importance of active participation in public life and the self-sacrificial nature of citizenship. In addition, he asserts that Athenians are exceptional since they engage in civic duties with a sense of freedom and respect for both written and unwritten laws. This is evident in the quote, “We alone do good to our neighbors not upon a calculation of interest, but in the confidence of freedom and in a …show more content…

On the other hand, I believe that Plato’s Crito presents a more philosophical view of citizenship and the obligations of individuals within the state. Socrates, in his dialogue with Crito, argues that a citizen’s primary obligation is to obey the laws of the state, even when they are unjust, stating, “One must obey the commands of one’s city and country, or persuade it as to the nature of justice.” Personally, I feel that this reflects a belief in the importance of individual ethics and the rule of law, even in a democracy where the majority may not always act justly. I think that it is really intriguing how he also challenges the notion of blindly obeying laws and highlights the importance of moral integrity over mere

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Plato’s Crito takes place in the jail cell of Socrates, who is wrongfully committed for a crime and is subjected to death. Socrates friends, including Crito, formulate a plan to bribe the guard overlooking Socrates and help him escape in order to give him a peaceful life in exile. Yet, Socrates objects to all of these actions and chooses to face death for many valid reasons. Socrates does not take a stance about whether escaping looks good or bad, instead he lets other people decide whether it is good or bad, for it reflects on them and not on Socrates. Socrates views escaping his unjust punishment as wrongful due to his gratitude, consistency, and loyalty to the laws and order of the government.

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143 Words | 1 Pages

The dialogue between friends, Crito and Socrates, shows the similarities in each thought process as both men are eager to display their integrity to their community. My analysis will show an evaluation of the parallels between Crito’s and Socrates’ understanding of what is morally appropriate. First, I will elaborate on Crito’s argument in which a plan to escape prison is the best choice for both himself and Socrates. Second, it will be important to discuss Socrates’ rebuttal to Crito. This comparison will be accomplished in this paper by contrasting both of their viewpoints.

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491 Words | 2 Pages

Intro Pericles meaning ‘Surrounded by Glory’, was an influential member and a credit to the society that he lived in during the classical period within ancient Athens. Pericles affected his society in a number of ways, politically, socially and economically. Pericles’ actions and motives were also shaped by the society that he lived in as Athens at the time of Pericles was a place of “aggressive, self-assertive competition” where “Greeks made a clear distinction between friends and enemies”. Pericles’ impact on his society can be seen through works and moments such as the pantheon and the democratic reforms of Athens.. Paragraph 1 (How did the individual's actions shape their society?)

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1482 Words | 6 Pages

This speech was recorded by Thucydides, a Greek historian, and former general of Athens in the Peloponnesian War. He includes Pericles’ Funeral Oration in his incomplete works of the Peloponnesian War finding its value important enough to be remembered. In the crowd hearing the speech, are the sophists, who did not support Democracy at the time and voiced their disregards for it. Pericles takes the opportunity to address the public not only about their fallen soldiers but also about their great country of Athens.

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144 Words | 1 Pages

Considering that both speeches used logos, Pericles’ Funeral Oration presented a better logical appeal because he brings forth hypothetical examples. In the speech, Pericles says " I would ask you to count as gain the greater part of your life, in which you have been happy, and remember that what remains is not long," ( page 77, 32-34), he creates a valid argument using logic saying if you are sad because your son died just remember the parts of your life where you were happy and don’t worry because you don’t have much left to live. Furthermore, Susan B. Anthony uses logos too, for example, “It was, we the people; not we, the white male citizens… but we, the whole people, who formed the Union” (Copeland 321), she uses logos to emphasize how

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974 Words | 4 Pages

The Constitution of Athens by the Old Oligarch and the funeral Oration given by Pericles in Thucydides’ The History of the Peloponnesian War offer two very different views of democracy in Athens. While the Old Oligarch lists the ways in which democracy fails the elite of Athens, Pericles’ speech highlights the very best aspects of Athens government. Fundamentally these two works are advocating for the different classes found in Athens, one the one hand the Old Oligarch supported the elite and on the other Pericles supported the average citizens of the city. As his moniker implies, the Old Oligarch favors oligarchy as opposed to democracy.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

In the opening year of the Peloponnesian War, 431 B.C.E., Pericles delivered, and according to Plato may not have written, a speech praising Athenian democracy while also remembering all the Soldiers that had died in the service of Athens. He took the opportunity to reinforce the Athenian constitution and to let people know that the deaths of their Soldiers was justified to uphold the democracy. Pericles cites that when Athens goes to war it goes alone. He goes onto to say that when other countries go to war against Athens that they must bring their “confederates” (Funeral Oration of Pericles) with them if they are to stand a chance at victory.

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1118 Words | 5 Pages

Socrates compares the relationship between a citizen and a city to that of a child and a parent. Athens has nurtured Socrates in body and mind, given him an ideal environment to raise his own children in, to give him a platform to exhort people to be virtuous (Crito, 51a). As any child benefits from the protections and provisions of a parent, he must also obey the parent when it requires something of him. So, Socrates considers it his civic duty to obey Athens wishes since he has benefited from his citizenship. Socrates reaches a conclusion that defies a common-sense understanding of

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Regardless of the exclusivity of ancient Athenian democracy (excluding women and those of non-Hellenic descent), Pericles’ influence and actions of his time laid the scaffold

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664 Words | 3 Pages

The Funeral Oration of Pericles: A Primary Text Analysis In Pericles’ Funeral Oration, the famous and influential text in 430 B.C was given by Pericles to traditionally honor the death of the soldiers that fought in war and serviced in the Athenian military. This interpretation of the oration is written by Thucydides, as it is a manuscript of what Pericles said to the Athenian public. Through this text, Pericles focuses on honoring the fallen soldiers, but he also emphases the values of Athenian society and the social structure of the invention of democracy, as it is introduced for the first time ever in history. The Funeral Oration of Pericles expresses the distinct values of strong moral standards for social structure and introduces democracy, as it reinforces laws and the need for equal justice.

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1372 Words | 6 Pages

Crito wanted Socrates to escape prison however Socrates had a very different view on the matter. Socrates was gonna face his sentence, if he did not then this would nullify his teaching of morals and honor, this was a very respectful choice. Crito was afraid that people would think that he had done nothing when he could have, which would have ruined his reputation. To this, Socrates

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474 Words | 2 Pages

The fifth and fourth century BCE Athenian democracy set the groundwork for many of our modern democratic ideas and systems. When compared to our current government system, it is evident that there are both similarities and contrasts. This essay will compare Athenian democracy to our own government in terms of citizenship and franchise, the system for making laws and who has the authority to do so, the power of the court, judicial review, and methods of restraining the power of public officials. One similarity between Athenian democracy and our own system is that only citizens have the right to vote or participate in political decision-making. In Athens, all citizens - male and over the age of 18 - were allowed political equality and the freedom

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217 Words | 1 Pages

In the book “The Crito,” by: Plato there is a dialogue that stands out to me and it is when Socrates says “Look now, Socrates, perhaps the laws would say, if what we say is true, what you are now attempting to do to us is not just. For we gave you birth, nurtured, educated you, giving share of everything which is beautiful to you and all the other citizens...” He emphasizes the laws by using personification. However, what I find interesting is that when he does this he goes in the more broader aspect not just by external meaning of what a person would see in which we see of people interpreting (e.g. Supreme Court Justices, state judges, and lawyers) but that he let law represent its own meaning. The second thing that stood out to me was the

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1434 Words | 6 Pages

Therefore, since Athens has a part to play in corrupting Socrates’s life as well as his mistaken visual of the truth, Socrates must understand that by obeying the state, he has done injustice to his soul for it will not be in true harmony. Furthermore he will be doing an injustice to the state because Plato would have established that, objectively, Athens laws are unjust and even if Socrates thinks that they are just, it is only because Socrates has been corrupted by

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1134 Words | 5 Pages

While some, like Plato in his The Republic, thought it weak to give government into the hands of the common people, Pericles countered this argument with a compelling argument of greatness. By putting government into the hands of the people, the people are united and more devoted to their country. Democracy bonds the people together in a way that no other government can understand. Pericles confidently states, “Athenians advance unsupported into the territory of a neighbor, and fighting upon a foreign soil usually vanquish with ease men who are defending their homes.”

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