Plato. Euthyphro, Apology, Crito. Translated by Church. Macmillan - Book Report/Review Example

English Response Paper. Pla Euthyphro, Apology, Crito. If this book had to be described in just one word, then that word would be “dialectic”. The reason for this is that the whole book is a demonstration in this Ancient Greek technique which is used by philosophers to think their way through a complicated issue. The most interesting feature of the book is the way that arguments are constructed on both sides, looking at the pros and cons of something important. There is an impression that each side is equally matched, and the reader follows the two sides of the argument, which is very good training for academic work.

It quite obvious, however, that whatever else happens, Socrates always wins the argument. This is an admirable skill which unfortunately did not prevent him from in the end taking hemlock since he was likely to have been found guilty and punished by the authorities. Plato describes a critical time in the life of a man who is recognized as one of the world’s greatest thinkers. Socrates is imprisoned and awaiting trial because the authorities did not like the way he was teaching the young to think for themselves.

This sounds like an old-fashioned situation and boring subject but in fact the book shows a fascinating personality having fun with people who try to argue with him. Socrates is much wiser than Euthyphro and Cato. It was a challenge to read the arguments of the younger scholars and try to work out how Socrates would find fault with them. There is much to be learned from an attempt to argue for something without first knowing what the outcome is going to be. Perhaps the most valuable lesson from the text was the reminder that it is important to be clear about what is meant by ordinary words.

The concept of “piety” for example, is not one that we use very much today. We tend in the modern world to think in terms of doing what is right, or keeping within the law, and sometimes also we add religious or political ideologies to help us decide what is best in any given situation. By clearly defining what we mean about big ideas like right and wrong, goodness and justice etc. we can work out what is really important in our society, and what we should make an effort to maintain. Because of this book, readers who listen to political speeches, for example, will be better able to understand what the assumptions of the speaker are, and where there might be contradictions or fuzzy thinking.

Not everything in the book is absolutely convincing. The conclusion that Socrates reaches in the discussion with Crito, for example, seems perverse. He could have escaped and continued his teaching work but he chose instead to submit to the forces of justice. This does not seem logical to a modern mind, because he was clearly a good man who did not deserve to die. This shows that there is room for differences of opinion, and how important it is for us to work out our own moral path in life, even if others disagree.

References Plato, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito. Translated by F.J. Church. New York: Macmillan,