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Trial of Socrates arguing his innocence
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Apology of Socrates was a famous historical account written by Plato. In this account, Socrates was not apologizing for anything; instead, he was defending for himself at his trial (Plato’s Apology 11). Thus, the title of this account was actually misleading. Socrates was brought in a trial because he was charged of being impiety to gods, inventing new deities, claiming the wisest man, and corrupting the youth of Athens (Plato’s Apology 16). However, I felt the main reason for his accusation was due to his teaching method, which might lead to a revolution.
Socrates’ teaching method might result in a revolution because he encouraged his students and the public to question. He believed questioning was an effective learning technique because it
In Plato’s Apology, Socrates uses religious appeals, proof by contradictions and various examples to argue for his innocence in court. Socrates is forced to argue for the sake of his life to prove that he is not guilty. In Socrates’ speech, however, he is not apologizing for anything instead, the word comes from the Greek word “apologia,” that translates to a speech made in defense. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates’ decision to stay in Athens and to accept suicide was unethical, because he purposefully antagonized the people who control his fate and this ultimately led to the death penalty.
Plato’s The Apology is a hand-written recording of Socrates’ speech made at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the “gods” that are recognized by the state. Therefore, he is corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates' speech, however, does not really mean an "apology" in terms of the modern language. The name “Apology” is a Greek word for "apologia," which means “defense”. And so in The Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and certainly did not mean to apologize for what he believes.
In Plato’s Apology it seems that overall Socrates did an effective job using the 3 acts of the mind. The three acts of the mind are: Understanding, Judgment, and Reasoning. These acts are stragically used to rebut the charges made against him during trial. The two charges that are formed against Socrates are corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods. The first act of the mind that we will be looking at is, understanding. The question that needs to be asked is what does corruption mean? The accuser believe that Socrates in corrupting the minds of the children by introducing new concepts. Socrates is trying to teach and involve the minds of the youth by getting them to ask question. It is very important that people are always asking questions about why things are. The next question that needs to be address is what does not believe in the gods mean? Socrates believes in God but that is one god that rules the world, not multiple gods who together rule. They are mad that he has “created” his own god.
Plato was the author of the Apology of Socrates, which was one of the four major works of ancient Greek literature. Though the title was the Apology of Socrates, the text referred to the defense speeches of Socrates against the Athenian council. At the end, Socrates was found to be guilty and was sentenced to death. However, the Athenian council was not acting justly because Socrates did nothing wrong as he had successfully developed a reasonable logic against the charges. I will address this notion through the analysis of the arguments and the logic that Socrates used to conduct his defense.
Aristophanes’ Clouds, if read hastily, can be interpreted as a mindless satyr play written in 419 BCE. Yet the chorus warns the reader not to expect the play to have farcical ploys like “a hanging phallus stitched on” the actors to evoke a laugh, but has underlying seriousness as “she [the play] comes in trusting only her words” (Clouds 538-44). Even if the play does use some low devices, the play’s message is sophisticated and can be read as a warning to Socrates. Aristophanes is a “friendly critic” of Socrates and warns Socrates to change his ways for Athens and for the good of himself (Whidden). Plato’s Symposium and especially his Apology of Socrates justify the claims made in Clouds about the dangers of philosophy and Socrates to the public, even if Plato’s Socrates is less exaggeratedly hubristic than the Socrates in Clouds.
In the opening of The Apology, Socrates informed the jurors how he intends to address them, what they should pay attention to in his remarks, and what he sees as his greatest obstacle in gaining an acquittal. How does he intend to address the jury? Socrates’ approach towards addressing the jury is way different than what you would see a normal defendant doing. Socrates does not stand in front of the jury and beg that he doesn’t get charged. Instead, Socrates believes that you shouldn’t have to cry and beg for the right to live in court if the defendant has done nothing wrong. The first thing that he says when speaking to the jury was to basically hear him out, and listen to even if he started to talk in his language of habit. He then said they should excuse that because he is seventy years old and has never appeared in court. “I must beg of you to grant me one favor, If you hear me using the same words in my defense which I have been in habit of using, and which most of you may have heard in the agora, and at the table of the money-changers, or anywhere else, I would ask you to not be surprised at this, and bot to interrupt me (Dover p. 19).”
Socrates takes more of the stance of a teacher in Apology. In the Apology Socrates is placed on trial and is attempting to defend his actionshow he is viewed and his teaching practice. Socrates is attempting to teach, or prove, that he is an innocent man who does not deserve punishment for his actions. If Socrates is attempting to teach anything it is that he is an innocent man. Socrates explains that he tries to dismantle the “wise” men of Athens who say they are wise because wisdom comes from accepting your own ignorancethey do not accept their own ignorance. Socrates says that wisdom comes from accepting that you do not know. This is paralleled with Meno’s acceptance of his own ignorance in Meno, which was a moment where he gains wisdom. Socrates is not trying to learn anything in ApologyUnlike in Meno, there is nothing Socrates is trying to learn in the Apology. He asks fewer questions in Apology than he does in Meno because there is not a definite question he is looking for an answer tothe Apology. Perhaps if Socrates was asking more questionsSocrates avoids asking questions because it would take his credibilityquestioning would challenge his credibility away while he was on trial. The jury could not trust a man who is asking questions of his own innocence. The only time in the Apology where he does ask questions is when he attempts discredit one of his accusers, Meletus. Socrates points out Meletus’
Plato’s Apology is a story of Socrates being accused of disobeying the state and not acknowledging the deities that they recognize. Socrates is brought to trial, he claims, because of the false wise men of Athens. According to Socrates, these men know that Socrates is the wisest of them all and can easily embarrass them, therefore he is a threat that they must eliminate. After much reasoning to the jury by Socrates, he is found guilty and is sentenced to death.
Plato’s “The Apology”, is an account of Socrates’ time on trial. Socrates is on trial for two charges, created by two groups of accusers. The initial charge is of “not recognizing the gods recognized by the state” and the second is for “corrupting the youth”. While Plato’s work is called “The Apology”, it is not meant to be considered an apology in the way it is understood in modern day, but rather the current title of Plato’s work is a translation from a Greek word that actually meant “a defense”. That was exactly what Socrates was attempting to do as he stood on trial.
The Apology is an account by Plato of the prosecution of Socrates who was brought to face prosecution for the first time in Athens in front of an open Athenian court comprised of approximately 500 juries (Plato, Tredennick, & Tarrant, 2003, p.33). As Socrates begins his defense, he names his accusers Meletus, Anytus and Lycon who represent the grievances on behalf of various sections of the population. Meletus represents the grievances of the poets, Anytus represents the professional men and politicians, and Lycon represents the grievances of the orators (Plato, Tredennick, & Tarrant, 2003, p.47). Socrates states to the jury that he is not well versed in the language of the court, and asks that they both accommodate his manner of speech, and
It is clear to the reader that Socrates is skilled in rhetorical dialogue. When taken down to their core, his arguments are just and portray confidence, an attribute seen in someone who is well versed in rhetoric. Unfortunately, however, the jurymen, who are tasked in determining Socrates’s fate, reject his arguments and sentence him to death. Socrates’s main fault is that he completely misaddresses his target audience, his argument against his corruption of the youth falls on deaf ears and his entire defense is for naught. In order to analyze Socrates argument, one must first look at any strong points, before pointing out rhetorical flaws of his and proposing alterations to his arguments.
Socrates is at the age of seventy and appearing in a law court for the first time. For the people of Socrates time is accusing Socrates, for miss leading the youth corrupting them and boasting about being wise, causing him to become very unpopular. Socrates says to the jury I am going to speak the whole truth, for it is me by myself that I have to defend. He says my accusers are many and I don’t know them, they say, “you should be careful not be deceived by an accomplished speaker like me” (Cohen, Curd, & Reeve, 2000). The accuser goes on to say that Socrates is accomplished speaker; Socrates starts to praise them, because their lies are so good well put together, that Socrates himself is almost convinced but then he says that they do not speak the truth.
Plato’s Apology The Apology was written by Plato, and relates Socrates’ defense at his trial on charges of corrupting the youth and impiety. Socrates argues that he is innocent of both charges. His defense is ultimately unsuccessful, and he is convicted and sentenced to death.
Socrates and the Apology Some of the best sources of information about Socrates' philosophical views are the early dialogues of his student Plato, who tried to provide a faithful picture of the methods and teachings of the great master. The Apology is one of the many recorded dialogues about Socrates. It is about how Socrates was arrested and charged with corrupting the youth, believing in no god(s) (Atheism) and for being a Sophist. He attended his trial and put up a good argument. I believe that Socrates was wrongfully accused and should not have been sentenced to death.
Plato’s work, The Apology of Socrates is very significant because it was a reporting of the courtroom that Socrates had to attend for his crimes of unacknowledging the recognized gods of the state and corrupting the youth’s mind with his ideas. During the trial Socrates attempts to make his last attempts to enlighten the jury and to sway them into setting him free from his crimes. Although the title is of Plato’s work is the Apology, Socrates does everything but apologize, in fact Socrates continues to show his passion in his teachings, and takes complete responsibility for his alleged wrongdoings