Socrates and Humanity

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that both the ancient Greek text of Socrates' "Apology" and the Mesopotamian epic of origins "Gilgamesh" are tales of pre-Christian lives, of people who are actively struggling with the concept of morality and the divine. The writer looks at how both works deal with the relations between God and humanity. The writer discusses that rather than a traditional moral economy of righteousness receiving rewards and evil actors being punished, these works present the gods as capricious entities, dispensing fate by their whim rather than basing their rewards upon the moral nature of individual human beings. The writer maintains that both of the main protagonists struggle to make sense of this chaotic and unjust state of affairs, and to find some way to live moral lives in the midst of tragedy. The writer concludes that both Gilgamesh and Socrates believed humans could only use reasoned actions and thoughts within themselves to deal with arbitrary forces.

From the Paper:

" Over the course of both works, the main protagonists suffer perceived or real injustices. Gilgamesh sees his dearest friend Enkidu die, after he is marked out to suffer by the gods. Socrates stands accused of impiety by the Athenian demos, even though he states that he believes in the gods. Set in a mythological past rather than a historical present, Gilgamesh and friend Enkidu must deal with the gods on a one-to-one basis, unlike Socrates who merely deals with the gods as abstractions, in dialogue with his fellow Athenians. Gilgamesh's' friend falls ill because Enkidu has been impious by urging his friend to hill the demon of the Cedar Forest Humbaba. Humbaba curses Enkidu to die before Gilgamesh. Even though Humbaba was attacking the two men and is described as an evil entity the greater influence of Humbaba upon the will of the gods means that his word is heard, not that of Gilgamesh or Enkidu."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Plato. "Apology." From The Dialogues of Plato: Volume 2. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1892. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/socrates/apology.html

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