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Apology

Apology. By Plato. Apology. “ Apology ” means defense in Greek. This work by Plato is a philosophical classic. It tells the story of Socrates ’ hearing and sentencing by an Athenian jury. Socrates is condemned to death despite an excellent defense of the charges. Reading the Apology.

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Apology

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  1. Apology By Plato

  2. Apology • “Apology” means defense in Greek. • This work by Plato is a philosophical classic. • It tells the story of Socrates’ hearing and sentencing by an Athenian jury. • Socrates is condemned to death despite an excellent defense of the charges.

  3. Reading the Apology • Part 1: Defense (pp. 22-33) • Part 2: The verdict (pp. 33-34) • Part 3: The sentencing (pp. 35-37)

  4. Part 1: Defense • In the defense Socrates defends himself against Meletus’, Anytus’ and Lycon’s formal indictment of corrupting the young and believing in false Gods. • Socrates also defends himself against rumors and a false reputation against his character.

  5. Defense Against a False Reputation • Socrates explains that his friend went to the Oracle of Delphi and the oracle told him that Socrates was the wisest man. • Socrates knows that the oracle cannot mean that Socrates knows more than most other people because he recognizes his ignorance about ultimate matters. • Socrates therefore sets our to interpret the meaning of the oracle.

  6. Socrates is the wisest • Socrates goes around questioning people to find out what they know. He discovers that the people who claim to know a lot know very little. • He embarrasses many important people and this is why he has received such a terrible reputation.

  7. Socrates’ Wisdom • Socrates does NOT claim to have knowledge of ultimate matters. • However he realizes that he is better off than most people insofar as he knows that he does not know, while the others do not know but think they know. • Socrates’ wisdom comes down to self-knowledge and humility.

  8. Wisdom and Humility • Socrates claims that as human beings we cannot have knowledge (or at least complete and certain knowledge) of ultimate matters (such as what is justice, goodness, virtue, etc.), and that only God can have knowledge of these things. • His wisdom is the realization of his finitude and of his limitations.

  9. Part 2 and 3: The verdict and Sentencing • In the rest of the Apology Socrates addresses a variety of other interesting themes such as courage, the importance of philosophizing, philosophy as a way of life, the importance of morality and goodness, the importance of the soul, the meaning of death, and others)

  10. Courage • “In court, as in warfare, neither I nor anyone else should contrive to escape death at any cost. On the battle field too, it often becomes obvious that one could avoid death by throwing down one’s arms and flinging oneself upon the mercy of one’s pursuers. And in every sort of danger there are many other means of escaping death, if one is shameless enough to do or say anything. I suggest that it is not death that is hard to avoid, gentlemen, but wickedness is far harder, since it is fleeter of foot than death.” (35)

  11. Apology- Philosophy • In the Apology Socrates proclaims himself as a philosopher who is on a mission from God. • His mission is to inquire into the meaning of life and the meanings of goodness, virtue, knowledge, and other related philosophical concepts. • His whole purpose in life is to investigate these topics with the intention of making people better human beings.

  12. Apology- Materialism • The Apology has some very contemporary and inspiring messages. • For instance, Socrates admonishes the Athenians not to seek treasures, money and honors, but rather to be concerned with what really matters in life and that is the soul, being good, and truth. (33)

  13. Apology- Philosophy as a way of life • For Socrates philosophizing is what he does in life. • During the trail, he is given the option to leave Athens, stop his philosophizing, and go into exile instead of death. • However, Socrates tells the Athenian jury that he prefers to die rather than stop philosophizing.

  14. Apology – Philosophy as the highest enterprise of human beings • “the unexamined life is no life for a human being to live” (p. 34) • Also translated as, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

  15. Apology- Morality • Socrates claims that what matters most in life is living morally and doing the right thing. • He tells the jury that one should never fear death or being harmed but only doing the wrong thing and committing an injustice. • In fact, he claims that good person can never be harmed, because his soul will remain pure. • When we know what the right thing is we should stand by it no matter what the consequences are. (p. 29)

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