Compare Piety and Socratic Beliefs in Euthyphro to Marcus Arulieus' Meditations

Introduction

One day in the year 399 BC, Socrates has been accused for impiety and corruption of youth. Socrates addressed some words to the court for his defense. Later, Socrate's student, i.e. Plato, wrote the work that readers call Apology, where Socrates once again addresses some words to the court for his defense. He is accused of impiety and corrupting the young. Is he guilty or not guilty? And if guilty, what penalty should readers impose? How would you vote if you were a member of the court in 399? How, in your imagination, do you vote today?

This is the challenge that offers this world apology to the reader, because of the literary form that Plato has given him-the ordinary form of a speech delivered in court. The Apology of Xenophon, by contrast, is a direct narrative, a kind of account of the trial such as newspapers, noting the sharp fragments of the most moving moments of Socrates' speech, and includes excerpts from interviews with various stakeholders. The Apology of Plato begins with the phrase: “Men of Athens …” normally used to apply to a court or an Assembly and continues to the end in the form of judicial eloquence that readers know well through the speech of Demosthenes or Lysias that have been preserved. This is definitely not a dialogue. So that readers are not invited, as is the case in the dialogues within the meaning of the word, to engage in a philosophical discussion about the virtue of science or reality. Readers are invited to a verdict about the case before them.

Discussion and Analysis

Marcus Aurelius' 'Meditations':

Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, is perhaps the most conspicuous example of an ancient philosopher who was also a leader. Like many good leaders, however, he accepted his position with reluctance, learning at the age of 18 that he had been adopted by the current emperor and put first in line for succession to the throne. It was not long after that time that Aurelius turned to the study of philosophy, specifically the philosophy of Stoicism, which had traditionally been associated not with the Roman emperors, but with those who opposed their power and prestige. Indeed, among the most famous Stoic philosophers is the slave Epictetus. But because great wealth and power come with great responsibility and, frequently, inner turmoil, a philosophy that espouses indifference to worldly goods served Marcus and his community well. Despite initial appearances, Aurelius's leadership philosophy has more in common with Laozi's Daoism than Aristotle's political engagement. Stoic leadership combines a strong sense of duty with trust in and acceptance of nature, accompanied by indifference to anything that is out of one's control.

Leadership again boils down to virtue in Aurelius's philosophy; indeed, Stoics believe that nothing is good except for virtue and that virtue is not only necessary but also sufficient for human happiness. By virtue, they mean essentially the ability to accept with indifference things out of one's ...