Western Philosophy

A) Original post: Please read the following scenario (Socrates’ Imprisonment), and then answer the question.

“The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was well known for his critical evaluation of highly regarded people in his society. As he publicly engaged with these people in discourse, he would expose their intellectual and moral weaknesses. Socrates did this to teach Athens’ youth to always seek truth and never to blindly accept the claim made by such authority figures. He was arrested, put on trial of “corrupting the youth,” and sentenced to death. After being imprisoned, Socrates’ friends encouraged him to escape. They had bribed the guards and arranged for him to flee on another city. Socrates, however, refused. He argued that he was obligated to obey the legal judgment against him because he had been raised, educated, and protected by the state. Although he could have previously left Athens, he had chosen to stay, effectively confirming his social contract with the state (by tacit consent). Thus, he should not now disobey the state. Although his treatment at the hands of the state was unjust, Socrates argued that this didn’t make the laws themselves unjust, nor did that annul his contract with the state. Dissent should not be expressed by breaking the laws, but by working to change the system within, using the legal resources the system itself provides such as his trial itself. (Athens was a democracy at the time).” Burnor R. & Raley Y. (2018). Ethical choices: An introduction to moral philosophy with cases (2^nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 218.

Question: Is Socrates’ argument consistent with Hobbes’ theory of social contract? Why or why not? First, explain Hobbes’ theory of the social contract and then argue for your point. You need to refer to the Week 13 lecture. (3 Marks).A) Original post: Please read the following sentences from Machiavelli’s The Prince.

question 2

“Therefore a prince, so long he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these wont to injure the whole people, while those executions which originate with a prince offend the individual only.” (p.78)

Reference: Machiavelli, N.(2014). The Prince. (W.K. Marriot, Trans.). San Diego: Word Cloud Classics.

How do you explain the quote based on Machiavelli’s political philosophy? You need to refer to the Week 12 lecture. (3 Marks).