The Apology of Socrates, by the Philosopher Plat

Book Report                                Week 16th

The Apology

  The Apology of Socrates, by the philosopher Plato (429–347 BC), was one of many explanatory apologia about Socrates’s legal defence against accusations of corruption and impiety. First, The defence was properly so called. Second, The shorter address in mitigation of the penalty. Third, The last words of prophetic rebuke and exhortation. Therefore, The Apology breaths the spirit of Socrates, but has been cast anew in the mould of Plato. While reading this book, I am constantly wondering why will Socrates persist in following a profession which leads him to death? Then I understand that he must remain at his position where the god has placed him. He knew nothing, and knew that he knew nothing. However, people knew little or nothing and they imagined that they knew all things. That’s why people need Socrates and why he was willing to die. Socrates is an evil-doer and a curious person, searching into things under the earth and above the heaven; and making the worse appear the better cause, and teaching all this to people.

The Prince

  The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. He sends it to the prince as a gift based on his long experience in contemporary affairs and a continual study of antiquity, wishing it would able to help the prince to turn his eyes to lower regions and understand the nature of the people.

  Each of the whole 26 chapters is unfold around a certain question, including the structure of states, the kinds of soldiery, the qualities of prince and the analysis on the relationship among princes, the secretaries of princes and people.

  What impressed me most is the chapter 13 on concerning cruelty and clemency, and whether it is better to be loved than feared. Firstly, the author claims that the prince ought to take care not to misuse clemency because as long as a prince keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty. Then he reveals the human nature that people are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous and they come for benefit, leave without hesitation. Therefore, it is difficult and almost impossible to be loved and feared. Finally, he summarizes that if a prince does not win love, he avoids hatred. Moreover, a wise prince should establish himself on that which is in his own control and not in that of others.