Self-Examination for Societal Growth Essay

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Introduction

It is important to distinguish the difference between living and survival. Individuals should conduct regular introspection and analyze their surroundings thoughtfully. Philosophers such as Socrates developed various schools of thought, propagating some tenets that modern people would build society using. However, some people, such as Socrates, faced discrimination due to these thoughts, eliciting the truth behind Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and illustrated in The Apology. Existing without examining oneself is dangerous and often affects society.

Main body

Plato argues that people are likely to make decisions based on experience and shun anything that seems harmful to society. In Allegory of the Cave, he posits that individuals are likely to pity one another for taking opposite sides on an issue. However, it is important to consider that one person has a broader picture than their counterpart and should understand their stance. In this scenario, the knowledgeable party should empathize with their counterpart and guide them towards a better stance. Nonetheless, as they appear to have made a wrong decision by going against the norm, it is unlikely their fellow prisoners would follow them outside (Plato,” Allegory of the Cave,” 3). The prisoners do not have any reason for self-examination and do not know if they are making a poor decision.

In contrast, Socrates’ The Apology occurred in the presence of close to 500 individuals that actively chose to ignore thought despite seeing the logic in his words. Plato argues that one of Socrates’ prosecutors, Meletus, provided logical fallacies that the accused mentioned (Plato “The Apology,” 15). However, despite seeing these problems, the Athenian spectators did not consider the possibility of Socrates’ innocence. In this instance, it becomes clear that individuals with a particular mindset may choose to remain impartial despite evidence against their beliefs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a lack of self-examination predisposes people to ignorance and is detrimental to societal growth. While some people may incompetently believe in some issues, as in Plato’s allegory, some choose to remain ignorant. As seen in Socrates’ case, shying away from introspection has dangerous effects. Another example of this danger involves Copernicus’ assertions that the world was round and revolved around the sun. Both instances required people to seek the truth. However, they resulted in death as many people chose to remain in the dark.

Works Cited

Plato. Apology. Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing, 2021.

Plato. The Republic: The Complete and Unabridged Jowett Translation. Translated by Benjamin Jowett, Vintage Books, 1991.

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IvyPanda. (2023) 'Self-Examination for Societal Growth'. 10 January.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "Self-Examination for Societal Growth." January 10, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-examination-for-societal-growth/.

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