SLyons+Personal+Analysis

In "The Death of Socrates", Plato discusses Socrates' view that people will act on knowledge of what they know is good. This does not occur very often in today's society. Today everyone wants to do what is best for themselves or to have fun even if it requires doing something they know is wrong. An example of this in today's society would be drunk driving. Everyone knows that it is not good to drive drunk but many still do it because they need to get somewhere or they think everything will be ok. Many people like to drink alcohol because it makes them feel good or have more fun. "In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes" which was a large percentage of the total vehicle crashes from that year. Many people hear statistics like this and never think it could happen to them. Many of the people who died in these crashes knew that it was not good to drive while drunk but still did it because they wanted to go somewhere. This shows that many people do not act on knowledge of what they know is good. Another example of people doing what they know is morally wrong is the use of drugs. Most people know that drugs are bad for them because they have been told since they were young. However, many people still use drugs because it makes them feel good. These are both examples of people doing what they know is morally wrong to help themselves or make themselves feel better.



In the past, many people did what they knew was morally right. An example of this is the entering of the U.S. into WWII and the end of the concentration camps. WWII started in 1939 with the invasion of Poland by German forces. The German nazis then set up concentration camps for the jewish people because they thought the jewish people were inferior. The U.S. entered the war in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. Enventually, the U.S. and the allies pushed the Germans back. The concentration camps were discovered and the jewish people that were left were freed. The War finally ended with Germany on the losing end. The U.S. did what they knew was morally right by defeating the Germans and destroying the concentration camps. An example of people doing what they know is morally wrong in the past is rum running druing Prohibition. Prohibition started in 1920 when the 18th Amendment went into affect. Alcoholic beverages were illigal in the U.S. This made people angry because many people liked alcohol. People started distilling alcohol in their houses and smuggling alcohol around the U.S. They knew that this was against the law and that it isn't good to break the law but they did it anyway. Eventually the amendment was overturned and alcohol was made legal in the U.S. again.

Socrates also believed that people who live good lives will not suffer in death. This is impossible to prove. Many religions preach that if you join that religion and live a good life then you will be prosperous in the after-life. No one knows if this is true or not. Many have theories on what happens after someone dies but it is impossible to prove.





Works Cited: 1. Baldwin, Mike "Life After Death cartoon 3." __CSL Cartoon Stock.__ Cartoon Stock. 8 Dec. 2007 [|. 2. Plato. __The Death of Socrates.__ 3."Comic." __The Eastern Door.__ 27 June 2003. Eastern Door. 8 Dec. 2007 . 4. "Rum-Running." __Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.__ 9 Dec. 2007. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 11 Dec. 2007 [|. 5. "Saint Peter Gift Image 7." __CSL Cartoon Stock.__ Cartoon Stock. 8 Dec. 2007 __[|. 6."Statistics." __MADD.__ MADD. 8 Dec. 2007 <[|http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Statistics.aspx>.] 7. "Timeline of World War II." __Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.__ 10 Dec. 2007. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 11 Dec. 2007 [|. Return to Home --- SLyons Per. 3