Validity in the Charges of Impiety against Socrates Impiety is commonly defined as a lack of proper concern for the obligations owed to public religious observation. Plato’s Apology consists of a speech made by Socrates, a well-known philosopher, in defense of his life and conduct at his trail. Socrates was accused of being impious through accusations such as corrupting the youth of Athens, not recognizing the gods that are recognized by the state, as well as inventing new deities. The question then becomes, with these accusations in mind, are the charges of impiety against Socrates valid? This question is not easy to answer, and is in fact, quite complex.
Socrates is supposed to be in a different | | |position since there is a jury to be convinced, and he believes he has a | | |strong argument since everyone present who is related to those who may have | | |been corrupted is there to defend, not accuse, him. | |Socrates says, “but either I do not corrupt them, or if I corrupt |Socrates admits that there is a chance that he is corrupting the youth, but | |them, I do it involuntarily, so that you are lying in both events.|that would only be if it is happening as an unintended effect. If, in asking | |But if I corrupt them involuntarily, for such involuntary errors |questions to seek out wisdom he has somehow corrupted the young men of | |the law is not to hale people into court, but to take them and |Athens, then he says he should have been told that what he was doing was
Paul Starita Pol Sci 201 10/26/12 Examining Justice and Education In The Apology, Socrates defends himself in a court of law after being accused of creating new deities and corrupting the youth. In this text, we find subtle opinions and explanations about the nature of justice. The Republic is a text written by Plato, where Socrates and several of his students deeply explore justice and how an ideal society might look. Especially present in The Republic, both texts have undertones of how education ought to be and why it is so important. These two texts define justice as an important virtue that every person should learn to possess through a balanced, self-discovering education.
Phil 115 March 4, 2013 Apology and Euthyphro After Socrates claimed that he was not like Sophists or Presocratics, he answers the question as to what led him to make his so-called false accusations? He answered by explaining that he had developed a reputation of wisdom, but a type that was limited and human based. He added that it was not the kind of wisdom that gave him the power to enforce his beliefs on matters associated with the Sophists and the Presocratics. Socrates explained that he gained his reputation by a prophecy given by the Oracle at Delphi to his friend Chaerephon. Socrates told the tale of how Chaerephon had gone to the oracle and asked as to whether or not there was one wiser than Socrates, to which the Oracle replied, no.
Socrates also admits the obvious in the passage by saying because he has not experienced the after-life, he is not able to pass judgment on what is to come. After thoroughly defending himself against his first charge, Socrates takes a stab at bringing light to the second charge as well: Corrupting the
THE ELENCHUS ( a form of inquiry and discussion between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. It is a dialectical method, often involving a discussion in which the defense of one point of view is questioned; one participant may lead another to contradict themselves in some way, thus strengthening the inquirer's own point.) In The Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and his conduct--certainly not to apologize for it. Socrates speaking in a very plain manner conversational manner explains that he has no experience with the law courts and that he will instead speak in the manner to which he is accustomed: with honesty and directness, recognizing his ignorance
I thought to myself, “how could a man whose treatises have defined the way we think to this day call others out for dictating the thoughts of others when all of his teaching have been equally as persuasive?” But as I dug deeper into the reading I realized that the reason he despised persuading the middle and lower class citizens was because he believed that they were easily persuadable, and not capable of true intellectual thought. Although the argument may be made that he was simply looking out for the middle class, I believe that his argument greatly underestimates the human ability to do what is right, and not what is necessarily the easiest
He examined every aspect of his own and every one else’s life, as he wanted to determine what was actually right and wrong with the world. If he was unable to know for certain about a matter, he did not pretend to know. At the time of Socrates’ life, the surrounding people in the city of Athens were living their lives and believing their beliefs as instructed by their society and religion. No one had ever asked many of the question Socrates was asking and no
It appears that Socrates has had a change of heart but his stance never changes. Apology is Socrates trial where he has to defend himself, in front of a jury, of accusations against him. Meletus argues that he, “busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and teaches these same things onto others” (Apology 24b). Socrates argues that he is not a teacher because he does not accept pay. The young men that follow him around are not his students, but try to mimic the way that he acts.
“Apology” February 20, 2013 As I read the Apology written by Plato I noticed that Socrates makes his defense in a question and answer type of structure. He is very wise as to asking the right questions. He tries to make Meletos answer his questions as it will prove Socrates defense later. Socrates tries to make Meletos contradict himself and therefore, the contradictions are his defense. For instance, Socrates asks “Do not the good do their neighbors well, and the bad do them evil?