《Apology-道歉 (英文原版)》读后感100字

Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers in Athens, and Plato who is also a famous philosophers was Socrates’ student, this book was written by Plato , he have recorded Socrates’ opinions and defence when he was prosecuted in the court. This book can be divided into three parts, his making defence against his accusers, reasons why he devoted himself in doing this, happy to accept the result although he was convicted.

In the first part, he had made elaborate defence about the matter why he was being prosecuted. He listed two main kinds of reasons, on the one hand, he didn’t think he is the wisest man in the world, and then he came to plenty of famous people who were considered wise in public, but in contrast, he found them not less wiser then he himself, and he even told them the truth as mentioned, which incurred infinite enmity. On the other hand, he was said that he was a doer of evil, who corrupted the youth, and did not believe in the gods of the state , but had other divinities of his own.

The second part, Socrates was obedience to the oracle, he believed God ordered him to fulfill the philosopher’s mission of searching into himself and other men. He would rather desert his post through fear of death, or any other fear than of disgrace, he also used a ludicrous figure of  speech himself to be a sort of gadfly , which was given to the state by god.

The last part, eventually Socrates knew that he was convicted, he would rather die than give up his mission of telling people the truth and justice. He asserted that the deficiency which led to his conviction was not of words, but his unwillingness acting the ways like his accusers. In his mind, death means good rather than evil. There are two results after death , for eternity is then only a single night , and besides, there is only a change and migration of the soul from this world to another.

I have read this book for twice, because i don’t quite understand it, it is better after twice reading. I am curious about Socrates’ eloquence,  it is the first time that I have been exposed this kind of logical thinking, it seems that philosophy is quite far away from me as before. But I found it really fascinating now. I still need to think it over, maybe I will search a lot about Socrates.