Exam 8: Plato Apology

According to Marx and Engels, "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their _______. They have a world to win."

In the reading, Socrates says, "I went to the poets; I am almost ashamed to speak of this, but still I must say that there is hardly a person present who would not have talked better about their poetry than they did themselves. That showed me in an instant that not by _______ do poets write poetry, but by a sort of genius and inspiration; they are like diviners or soothsayers who also say many fine things, but do not understand the meaning of them."

According to Aristotle, "When several villages are united in a single complete community, large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficient, the ______ comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life."

Explain what Wollstonecraft means when she says, "Asserting the rights which women in common with men ought to contend for, I have not attempted to extenuate their faults; but to prove them to be the natural consequence of their education and station in society."

In the reading, after the jury finds Socrates guilty, he is allowed to offer a proposal for his sentence. Socrates suggests that he should be rewarded for his helping others to seek wisdom. Do you think that Socrates purposely antagonized the jury? Why might he do this?

In the reading, Socrates and Crito discuss whether doing evil in return for evil is ever justified. Socrates's position is ...

Locke says, "The first power, namely, of doing whatsoever he thought fit for the preservation of himself and the rest of mankind, he gives up to be regulated by laws made by the society, so far forth as the preservation of himself and the rest of that society shall require; which laws of the society in many things confine the _________ he had by the law of Nature."

According to Appiah, in a "traditional society we may speak of these shared beliefs, values, signs, and symbols as the historiography; not, to insist on a crucial point, in the sense that everyone in the group actually holds the beliefs and values, but in the sense that everybody knows what they are and everybody knows that they are widely held in the society."

In the reading, Socrates says, "young men of the richer classes, who have not much to do, come about me of their own accord; they like to hear the pretenders examined, and they often imitate me, and examine others themselves; there are plenty of persons, as they soon enough discover, who think that they know something, but really know little or nothing: and then those who are examined by them instead of being angry with themselves are angry with me."

According to Locke, "Firstly, there wants an established, settled, hierarchy, received and allowed by common consent to be the standard of right and wrong, and the common measure to decide all controversies between them."

In the reading, Socrates says, "What can he mean when he says that I am the wisest of men? And yet he is a god and cannot lie; that would be against his nature. After a long consideration, I at last thought of a method of trying the question. I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand." Discuss some of the types of people that Socrates questioned, and what Socrates concluded from his questioning.

In the reading, Socrates confronts Meletus's charge that Socrates "corrupts the youth." Meletus then claims that Socrates is anti-government.

According to Appiah, "What does this have to do with education? The short answer is: understanding may not help with problems that do not arise from ________________. What is often required, in dealing with identity conflict, is not understanding of cultures but respect for identities."

According to Green, "Yet, as Okin points out, Rawls never raises the question of whether a traditional family structure would be chosen from behind the veil of ignorance. This leads her to speculate as to what kind of family structure would be chosen were it constructed according to the two principles of justice. She concludes that it would be an ____________ one in which duties were not determined by sex but were shared equally between parents."

According to Aristotle, "Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some religion."

Explain what Hobbes means when he says, "By liberty is understood the absence of external impediments; impediments which may often take away part of a man's power to do what he would, but cannot hinder him from using the power left him, according as his judgement and reason shall dictate to him." Do you agree with Hobbes? Explain your answer.

Green tells us that "The liberal feminist ought to adopt the principle of parity, that is, guaranteed equal representation of both sexes in parliament, rather than the requirement of androgyny."

According to Mill, "the people, consequently, may desire to oppress a part of their number; and precautions are as much needed against this, as against any other abuse of power; thus __________________________ is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard."

Macaulay tells us that "If the French people therefore should be so capricious as to fling off their new constitution, and subject themselves to more unequal forms of government, or even to tyranny, it will be agreeable to the course of past experience. But such an exertion of power cannot injure their right; and whatever form or complexion any future government in France may bear, it can have no legitimate source, but in the will of the people." Do you agree with Macaulay? Explain your answer.

Socrates offers an imaginary discussion with "the Laws," in which the Laws offer reasons why Socrates should obey the laws and accept his death sentence. What are some of the reasons the Laws give? How does this relate to an "implied contract" between Socrates and the state?