Preview

Plato's Apology Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
856 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Plato's Apology Analysis
Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and pupil of the philosopher Socrates, relays his interpretation of Socrates’ defence against the Athenian council in, An Excerpt from Plato’s Apology. In the writings, (which may be biased being as Plato was an admirer of Socrates), Socrates attempts to dispel the charges laid against him. Throughout the excerpt, there is much acknowledgement surronding the scuttlebut in cirulation emcompassing Socrates, why and how he earned he vile names, his everlasting support of philosophical studies, and the importance of finding and improving the sole. All developing the thesis of Socrates’ attempt to prove that he is not a conceited, boastful philosopher but in reality there is a method to his madness. …show more content…
Meletus accuses the philosopher of corrupting the youth as oppose to bettering them. Socrates is also arraigned with being a sophist, making the bad look good, not believing in god - or at least not recognizing the gods worshiped by society and finally, being an outright ‘evil-doer’. During his speech, Socrates first addresses Aristophanes (A playwright of Athens), and his pursuit to make Socrates out to be a bit of a trash-talker who claims he can walk through air along with other absurdities. Socrates claims that although he is a teacher of philosophy, he does not charge. Even though frowned upon Socrates admires anyone that possess such great knowledge and is able to charge for their teachings. In a modest manner he states, “Had I the same, I should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of that kind.” This is important because it aids in the proving of Socrates innocence, being that if he was indeed such a pompous, conceited philosopher he would not be able to admit his lack of knowledge. Throughout the excerpt Socrates makes reference to many stories in effort of proving to the jury before him how he acquired such an atrocious reputation. Socrates mentions that he believes the only reason he was put on trial was because Meletus does not like him for possessing such unique

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    What is philosophy according to one of the greats? This is a crucial question we must explore when familiarizing ourselves with the study of knowledge. Plato essentially laid the foundation of western philosophy by the use of his academy in Athens (teaching intellectuals such as Aristotle), and the pieces of literature he produced. These impactful texts including "the Republic" and "Apology", mix both myth and reason through the voice of his renowned teacher, Socrates. In this way, Plato defines his understanding of reality as comprising of levels……

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Death is one of the most discussed topics that has always risen a lot of doubt and concerns . Many philosophers and writers, through the centuries, have tried to find a definition or a reason for this mysterious and inevitable event. Analyzing Plato’s Apology, he seemed to have a positive view about death. He claimed that death is a “state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness”; in fact, he compared death with the act of sleeping. But since death is more deep and irreversible, humans cannot be bothered by dreams or thought because they’re dead, whereas this could happen while they’re sleeping. So death is a state of relaxing for the soul and for this motivation he considered death as a conquer for human’s life. He also pointed out another…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Interlocutor Vs Meno

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In this dialogue, Socrates is attempting to defense himself at the trial and prove his innocence, while others are trying to put him to death for introducing strange gods and corrupting the youth. Socrates's first sentence sets the tone and direction for the whole dialogue. Socrates, in addressing the men of Athens, states that he almost forgets who he is because of…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    For these two articles that we read in Crito and Apology by Plato, we could know Socrates is an enduring person with imagination, because he presents us with a mass of contradictions: Most eloquent men, yet he never wrote a word; ugliest yet most profoundly attractive; ignorant yet wise; wrongfully convicted, yet unwilling to avoid his unjust execution. Behind these conundrums is a contradiction less often explored: Socrates is at once the most Athenian, most local, citizenly, and patriotic of philosophers; and yet the most self-regarding of Athenians. Exploring that contradiction, between ¡§Socrates the loyal Athenian citizen¡¨ and ¡§Socrates the philosophical critic of Athenian society,¡¨ will help to position Plato¡¦s Socrates in an Athenian legal and historical context; it allows us to reunite Socrates the literary character and Athens the democratic city that tried and executed him. Moreover, those help us to understand Plato¡¦s presentation of the strange legal and ethical drama.…

    • 1653 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates’ discussion with Meletus stems from Meletus leading the prosecution against Socrates. Socrates is charged with “corrupting the youth and of not believing in the gods in who the city believes, but in other new spiritual things.” During his trial, Socrates is given the chance to defend himself against the accusations. Socrates argues that the charges against him are contradictory and incoherent.…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The philosopher with which my views are in the most agreement is the philosopher Socrates. The Socratic tradition is a long a deep tradition that has influenced every facet of our life today, the four most important texts to be examined are The Apology, Euthyphro, and Crito. These texts capture the way Socrates saw the world. I am going to talk about the political philosophy and Socrates moral philosophy in Crito and the Apology and I am going to talk about religious belief in Euthyphro. I am also going to talk about the way Socrates has influenced western culture and society, and the way Socrates has had a strong impact and much influence in my everyday life.…

    • 3853 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Athens Greece, there was a very wise man considered by the Athenians who lived through the Periclean age (around 400 BC) and his name was Socrates. For most of his life time Socrates was a highly well respected philosopher; who loved teaching philosophy of life to anyone who listen in the street of Athens. All was dandy until his friend Chaerephon had told him that “He went to Delphi at one time and ventured to ask the oracle – as I say, gentlemen, don create a disturbance – he asked if any man was wiser than I, and the Phythian replied that no one was wiser” (Plato, p 26). During Socrates crusade of trying to find who was the wise man alive. Socrates oversteps his boundary and decries powerful men’s. Now these powerful men (Lycons, Meletus, and Anytus) started to dislike Socrates and his teaching; claiming that Socrates teaching is corrupting the minds of the Athenian youth and that he also did not believed in the Greek gods, so Socrates seventy years of age was put on trial. Near the king-archon’s court, Euthyphro was astonished to see Socrates at the court house. Now Socrates finds this very interesting because Euthyphro, a professional priest highly respected by “authorities” (those who wants to get rid of Socrates) is at the court house to prosecute his father for murder. Now for Socrates to have a clear knowledge of the definition of what Piety is? Which he could use to help defend himself, because prosecutors know and think highly of Euthyphro “an expert on ritual and on piety generally” (Plato, p 2) was for Euthyphro to explain why he was prosecuting his father for murder. Only then Socrates could equivalent between himself and Euthyphro; who citizens’ highly respect, bringing him respect, and freedom. Now Socrates wants Euthyphro to elucidate to him the meaning of piety since Euthyphro considered himself an authority over the subject. This is where Socrates begins his dialogue with Euthyphro seeking the…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates was guilty as charged as he did not believe in the same gods as Athens while extorting the truth for his personal benefit, disregarding the pureness of Athens and its youth.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Plato’s Apology and Xenophon’s Apology, Socrates is facing charges for his actions. This opens a slew of questions about the charges against Socrates. Throughout the books, the charges that Socrates faces are failure to know the gods about the city, promoting unfamiliar spiritual ideas, and for corrupting the youth. This varies from book to book as each book talks about the relationship between philosophy and the city and how it plays a role. It dives into the bigger question: does education lead to virtue or corruption?…

    • 2336 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Was Socrates Wise?

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages

    While defending his life infront of the jury and all others present the day of his trial, Socrates managed to prove that he was. He did so by simply stating that the Oracle of Delphi claimed Socrates to be the “wisest of all men.” Though this would not have been a direct showcasing of his wisdom, the fact that the revered Oracle of…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates' Apology

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Apology shows the importance of truth and justice throughout the historical development of ancient Greece and of the world in general. The Trojan War plays an important role in Socrates’ apology, showing how our historical development seems predetermined by a higher force or God. Aquilles, similar to Socrates followed the Oracle of Delphi prophecies, which not only determined his fames but his death too. Thus, Plato use of Palamedes in the Apology clarifies, then, Plato’s desire to seek for knowledge and immortality after his death and being closer to others such as Palamedes and Ajax rather that with others who lack knowledge. So Socrates doesn’t’ fear death since is a term unknown to him but rather by sentencing him to death he will win the knowledge of what death is too. Furthermore, Meletus’s contradictory and vengeful plot against Socrates correlates to when Odysseus seek for revenge against Parmedes.…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Plato's Apology

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In Plato's "Apology", Socrates is in trial for "corrupting the youth" and not believing in gods the city believe in. The book has three parts. In the first part, Socrates gives a long speech. This is Socrates defense against his accusers. During this speech, Socrates says many examples of characters in Greek books. For example, he talks about "the clouds" which is a comedy play. Socrates also talks about Anaxagoras in the first part. In the second part, the court decides that Socrates is guilty. They say Socrates is convincing the young people to believe in things they shouldn't. In the third part, Socrates is sentence to death. Socrates says that death does not matter to him because he can see Homer and Odysseus possibly. He is also not mind sentence and make jokes at the end of the book. In the "Apology", I can see how three concepts we study in class relate to the "Apology". The three concepts are the tripartite framework of tradition (Eliot), a paradigm shift (Kuhn), and intertextuality. In the "Apology" I can also see how the foundational tradition of Greece establish by books such as the "Iliad", the "Odyssey", and "Oedipus the King" relate to the concepts we study in class and Plato's "Apology". In this essay I write about three concepts and also foundational tradition of Greece and explain how they all relate.…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Socrates Wrong

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For these accusations, he was claimed to be corrupting the minds of the youth. He was put into trial and was given the chance to defend himself to all the accusations pressed against him. I do not believe Socrates…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The apology of Socrates is one of the top works of his disciple Plato, where he recounts the defense of this Greek Philosopher before the accusations of "impiety and corruption of youth," made by his detractors Meletus and Anitus before a Council conformed by Greek citizens. As we enter the arguments described by Plato, we realize that we are in front of an exceptionally superior man who asserts his thinking and seeks the truth through a logical reasoning never before recorded in history. Socrates relied on maieutics to prove his innocence before the baseless accusations of Meletus.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    random file

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Have a duty to enlighten other people even if the other people don’t want it…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays