Modern day Socrates

Born and raised in Seattle Washington, rapper and song writer Macklemore became famous after his album "The Heist" hit it big in 2012. His musical interests began when listening to hip hop at the age of six and he began to write his own lyrics at the age of fourteen. He now use his music to make a difference in the world by fearlessly expressing his opinions on controversial issues such as gay marriage.  Through his music Macklemore shares his beliefs with his listeners and forces society to reexamine its views. Although many people have strong opinions on issues like gay marriage society is often unwilling to listen to them, but using music to address more serious issues is a perfect way to reach many people who wouldn't otherwise be willing to listen.

Macklemore impresses upon society the need for self and societal examination in order to create a more equal world. Throughout his song "same love" Macklemore emphasizes the need for expectance and dissolving stereo types and questions peoples interpretation of the bible. Macklemore makes it very clear that he is a strong supporter of gay marriage. Like Socrates Macklemore strongly impresses his views upon socioty and causes induviduals to rethink what they believe and most of his followers are the youth, making him the person I think is a modern day Socrates 

http://youtu.be/OQngzapK5dM

Thoughts and reflections on When free speech was first condemned

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                          February 24, 2014

Thoughts and Reflections On: "When Free Speech was First Condemned: The Trial of Socrates Reconsidered"

By: I. F. Stone

This article "When free speech was first condemned" is appropriately named because it is referring to the trial and eventual death of Socrates, who was basically condemned for practicing his right of free speech. This article changed my opinion of Socrates a little because originally I thought he was just extraordinarily full of himself, but this article caused me to wonder if Socrates was really pretentious or if he was actually just a little suicidal and was trying to be as dislikable as possible.  If I were the head prosecuting attorney in the trial of Socrates I would call upon Socrates to be a witness for his own prosecution.

Socrates really seemed to be one a path of self destruction so I would let him further incriminate himself by asking him questions like "How do you feel about democracy?" Or "What are your feelings toward Sparta and their government style?" I believe his answers to those questions would be enough to sway any jury. If I was the head attorney for the defense I would call upon someone who knew the law well and have them point out the fact that it is barbaric to condemn someone for free speech, especialy when it was considered such an important right in Athainian socioty. 

Panel Discussion Questions

If the climate continues to change due to the effects of global warming how do you predict this will have an effect on the number of natural disasters per year? 

Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Apology of Socrates" Post #2

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                               February 19, 2014

Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Apology of Socrates"

By Plato

Throughout his trial Socrates knew he was probably a dead man, but despite his odds he refused result to the traditional pitiful appeals where the defendant cries and brings in his family in an attempt to gain sympathy votes. Socrates believed it was foolish to fear death because it wasn't like a person who escaped the death penalty would be immortal anyways so in order to preserve his reputation that he was more than just the average man and also his dignity Socrates refused to use any pitiful appeals. Even after Socrates is condemned to death he still believed he had done no wrong. He stated that punishments were for wrong doers, which he was not, so he did not deserve a punishment instead he suggested the state give him free maintenance as a reward for the good he brings to society.

When asked what punishment he would give himself instead of death he stated that although imprisonment, fines, and or  banishment were options he would prefer the more optimistic option of death because he would rather die ten times over than disobey the gods and what he believed to be right by discontinuing his teachings and questioning. Socrates seems to have a very optimistic and opened minded view on death, in fact he believes that it might be a blessing. He makes the assumption that the only two possible options after death were sleep which might be nice or that your sole moved on to some where else. He hoped that his sole would go on so he could continue his teachings and possibly meet people such as Orpheus and Homer which he would happily die in order to meet. After reciving the decision of the jury he gave a porphacy he said  "I tell you, my executioners, that as soon as I am dead, vengeance shall fall upon you with a punishment far more painful than your killing of me. As soon as I am dead, retribution will come upon you-far more severe, I swear, than the sentence that you have passed upon me." Unfortunatly regardless of his prophacy Socrates was sentanced to death and died a month later. 

Thoughts and reflections on The Apology of Socrates

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                               February 18, 2014

Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Apology of Socrates"

By Plato

Socrates is one of the most intelligent philosophers in history, but although he was very intelligent he may not have been so wise. Wisdom is more than just smarts it's also how you act and angering so many powerful people with his arrogance and by basically questioning them and then telling them they were not wise was not a very wise decision on Socrates part. Additionally Socrates believed that the gods possessed the wisdom not humans so he could not truly be considered wise by his standards. Although Socrates may have been a little skeptical about Gods and their power the reason for the start of his teachings was based an Oracle of the God Delphi, so clearly Socrates did believe in the Gods even though he wasn't a devout follower. Socrates blunt, strait forward and brutally honest "plain speaking" seemed to make him seriously disliked by many people.

But although he was widely disliked in his own society was very valuable to both his society and today's world. Socrates encouraged a new way of free thinking and questioned people on difficult topics. Today the words of Socrates are still read and contemplated and much can be learn from the teachings of this intelligent free thinker. Socrates although accused of misleading the youth claimed that the accusers had the wrong story and that he was not intentionally misleading the youth at all. Socrates appeared to attract the youth who were already seeking knowledge and his intentions were not to mislead them, but simply to excise their minds and seek wisdom and knowledge himself. During his trial Socrates constantly attempts to call attention away from himself and towards his accusers by repeatedly calling them lairs and deeming himself trustworthy. Then Socrates continues to compare himself to his accusers claiming they were really in the wrong, which didn't seem to fly with the jury. Ultimately Socrates was a man of extraordinary intellectual ability and although his blunt way of thinking and questioning everything that was said to be true got him in trouble he was still one of the greatest philosophers to ever live. 

Thoughts and Reflections on The 2,000 year war

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                           February 13, 2014                                                       
Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Two Thousand Years' War"

By Walter Karp 

In 1945 the relationship between two of the world main powers the United States and the Soviet Union became developed into what we call today the Cold War. The Cold War was a war which involved no actual fighting thus making it a "cold" war rather than a "hot" war with battles and military involvement. Little did many people know in 1945 but history was repeating it self and their current conflict bore a strong resemblance to a similar conflict 2,300 years before called the Peloponnesian war.

The Peloponnesian War much like the Cold War was between the two major power houses of the time period, in this case Athens and Sparta, and started because of huge disagreements in government style and the growing power of one side. Many people would compare ancient Athens to the U.S. during the Cold War because both countries were democracies, both showed extreme patriotism and both had strong navy. Where as Sparta unlike Athens could be compared to 1940's Soviet Union, with both having a traditional governing style (Sparta oligarchy and the Soviet Union communism) and both were agricultural based countries rather than trade based like Athens and the U.S.

If the U.S. and the Soviet Union had read the history of the Peloponnesian war and put the lessons learn into use they would have probably seen the downsides of creating war over power and simple disagreements when peace is an option. It's important for countries and people to learn from history to keep from making the same mistakes their predecessors have already had to learn the hard way. Studying history is a way not to forget the lessons and learn from the experience of those who have gone before us to become wiser in the ways of self preservation. 

The Thoughts of Thucydides

Katie Taylor

AHW Period 6

February 9, 2014

                                                       The Thoughts of Thucydidies                   

Greece was one of history's most accomplished civilizations and will undoubtedly always be remembered for its great accomplishments. The greatness of the Athenians derived from many reasons according to Pericles. In the Funeral Oration, Thucydides records the words of Pericles explaining the reasons why Athens and its people were great. In his later works "The Plague" and "Civil War at Corcyra," however, Thucydides describes in detail the people of Athens as being selfish, unkind, not following the laws and spending money without a care, which contradicts his previous description and sheds a new light on the distinct characteristics of human nature.

In the Funeral Oration, Pericles boasts of how Athenians follow the laws to the letter not only because they are required to but also because they follow a moral code and are good, kind people who expect nothing in return. Pericles strongly states that "we keep the law" (Thucydides, page 145, section 37, lines), and he goes as far as saying "we obey the laws themselves, especially those which are for the protection of the oppressed, and those unwritten laws which it is an acknowledged shame to break" (Thucydides, page 145, section 37, lines 19-21), implying that the Athenians are people of strong morals. Thucydides later refutes Pericles' point, however, when he writes The Plague. With the disorganization and fear created by the plague, the people "not knowing what would happen next to them, became indifferent to every rule of religion or of law"(Thucydides, page 155, section 52, lines 11-12) exposing humans' true nature of selfishness. Thucydides writes that "As for what is called honour, no one showed himself willing to abide by its laws" (Thucydides, page 155, section 53, lines 9-10) when before he wrote that the Athenians followed even the unenforced laws in order to abide by their moral code. It is a part of human nature not to abide by laws, so when the restraints of society are loosened by isolation caused by the plague, the laws were nearly all forgotten. The clear willingness of the Athenians to follow the laws was only true during good times, but that wasn't the only acclaimed Athenian quality that was not as prevalent in Athens as Pericles claimed. 

In addition to the laws of Athens not actually being followed to the letter like Pericles claimed, Thucydides also reports that according to Pericles the Athenians "regard wealth as something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about" (Thucydides, page 147, section 40, lines 2-4). These strong ethics pertaining to wealth were not demonstrated during the plague at all, however.  During the plague people spent money like never before. With all the death throughout the city, money was changing hands via inheritance every day and once the people realized this "they resolved to spend their money quickly and to spend it on pleasure," (Thucydides, page 155, section 53, lines 7-9) which plays into the vile and greedy nature of humans. The plague obviously had an effect on peoples' health and also on the way they acted. During the plague people were surrounded by death and overwhelmed with the constant reminder of their own mortality, driving them to care less about what was socially acceptable and morally right and instead more about their own selfish desires. 

 

Not only were the Athenians greedy in times of hardship, but these times caused them to lose their moral compass and sense of what was right and wrong. The Funeral Oration mentions several times how Athens was not only great because of its outstanding government and laws but also because the Athenians were people of exceptional morals. Pericles claimed that the way the Athenians treated each other was something to be proud of. He boasted of how Athenians "make friends by doing good to others not by receiving good" ( Thucydides, page 147, section 40, lines 24-25) and they did kindness to others not for ulterior motives or to get something in return. However, contradictory to how Pericles described the Athenian people in both the Civil War and during The Plague, there was very little kindness shown at all. In fact, people were downright barbaric. Throughout the Civil War "there were fathers who killed their own sons; men were dragged from the temples" and "some were actually walled up in the temple of Dionysus" (Thucydides, page 241, section 81, lines 26-27) and heartlessly left there to die. The peoples' behavior during the plague was unfortunately not much better. When people were sick their own family often deserted them and many of the sick "died with no one to look after them"() In these times of hardship, the kindness that Pericles talked of completely vanished and exposed an underlying nature of selfishness, amoral behavior, and violence.

In "The Plague" and "Civil War at Corcyra," Thucydides describes in detail the people of Athens as being selfish, unkind, not following the laws and spending money without a care, which contradicts Pericles's previous description in "The Funeral Oration" recorded by Thucydidies and sheds a new light on the distinct characteristics of human nature. Throughout "The Funeral Oration" Pericles boast of his peoples' willingness to follow the laws, their proper use of wealth, and their outstanding morals, but Thucydies later refutes these points proving that there really is no perfect person or city. People may follow higher moral standards during times of peace and prosperity but when disasters such as war or plague wreak havoc on a city, the true barbaric nature of humanity is often exposed. Unfortunately even with the passing of almost 2,500 years the nature of humans remains the same and examples of this lay all around us. One of the most applicable examples is that of the LA Riots of 1992. After the acquittal of several police officers in a trial regarding racism and police brutality, LA was plagued by one of the largest riots in history. At first it started out relatively small with a only few broken windows, but soon it all snowballed. Total chaos was released on the city. Unable to keep a handle on the thousands of rioters, the police quickly lost control of the situation. Then people who would not have otherwise have been involved in such riots begun to take the riot as a chance to get away with crime. Laws and morals completely vanished for a large majority of the Los Angeles population and it became every man for himself. There were cars lit on fire, countless robberies, beatings and even murder throughout those four days, resulting in 58 deaths and over 2,000 injuries to the general public. Much like Athens over 2,000 years beforehand, people's barbaric nature was exposed by disaster and today even in your own town this aspect of all humans is only hiding in some more deeply than others but nevertheless it waits for the next event to allow its exposure. 

 Crazy Gun Fights LA Riot 

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Work Cited

 

Books:

Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Rex Warner-Translator ed. New York: Penguin, 

          1972. Print.

Photos: 

Pericles Funeral Oration. N.d. Photograph. CreatingHistory. 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Pyrrhus' Siege. Photograph. History of Sparta. Wikipedia, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

N.d. Photograph. Energy Conservation. Casei, 12 June 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

The LA Riots. N.d. Photograph. LA. Photography. 2 Nov. 1998. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Video: 

Dustin Edward. “Crazy Gun Fight in the Streets of LA- Korean Merchants vs. Criminals (1992 LA riots).” Online Video 

YouTube. YouTube, January 30, 2013. Web. February 9, 2014.