The Last Days of Socrates
Socrates, the great ancient Greek philosopher who loved wisdom and strongly influenced Plato and Western Civilization, was accused of impiety and of corrupting the youth of Athens and was condemned to die.
Famed for his obsessive focus on wisdom, the good life, and the soul, he eschewed living merely for economic or material gain and believed that behaving wickedly is worse than dying.
At his trial, Socrates said: “But I suggest, gentlemen, that the difficulty is not so much to escape death; the real difficulty is to escape from wickedness, which is far more fleet of foot.”
Socrates believed human wisdom alone was insufficient for the good life, that wisdom requires being aware of one’s ignorance, and that the unexamined life was not worth living.
The Last Days of Socrates features four well-known dialogues attributed to Plato that take place during Socrates’ trial and death.
- Euthyphro: Socrates is on his way to court; he and Euthyphro discuss the nature of holiness or piety, which Socrates believes is a form of justice.
- Apology is Socrates’ trial defense before an Athenian jury. Certainly, the most famous and read of all the dialogues.
- Crito: A pupil and friend tries to persuade Socrates to escape from prison and execution. Socrates argues that escaping would be unjust, as it would overturn his city’s laws.
- Phaedo concerns Socrates about to die. Among friends, he seeks to prove the immortality of the soul.
These are not dry philosophical treatises; they are enjoyable, literary masterpieces that provoke serious thought about important questions.
Jesus The Great Philosopher
Jesus The Great Philosopher provides a helpful introduction to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and the big philosophical domains they explored. The domains are metaphysics (reality), epistemology (human knowledge), ethics (what is just and good), and politics (how to order society for justice and happiness).
Jonathan T. Pennington contends that while Christianity should be viewed as a religion (in that it addresses man’s relationship with God), it’s also “a philosophy of happiness” (205), in that it deals with the ultimate questions.
The author shows that the Bible provides thick answers and intentionally so. Moreover, ancient art and the Bible reveal that Jesus was not only considered to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord, and the Savior, but also a philosopher. Pennington cites texts like John 10:10 and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as evidence that Jesus was a philosopher of happiness.
Furthermore, the book explains the importance of emotions and relationships, examines ancient philosophical views that continue to affect Western civilization today, and discusses how Christianity provides emotional renewal and relational restoration between God and man, and between people. The author also helpfully discusses biblical disciplines like reflection and prayer.
The author believes that a lapse in serious reflection on ultimate philosophical questions and on the philosophy of Christianity has led to confusion about how to live well.
The book is a page-turner and suitable for high school students. It’s a valuable introduction to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, as well as the primary philosophical questions.
Here are a few short videos from the author about the book.