Around 400 BC Plato, one of Socrates greatest admirers, wrote a dialog of the speech Socrates makes at the trial where he was accused of not recognizing the gods that the state recognized, and for corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates is brought before a jury to defend his case and uses the method of cross-examination to prove his argument. Throughout the duration of the trial, Socrates uses concrete evidence and his distinctive logical to prove to his accusers that he is innocent. Instead, Socrates establishes a strong argument for his claim that he is essentially one of the most positive influences on the youth while recognizing that the gods do exist. Before Socrates went to trial to prove his innocence, in addition to already believing he was the wisest in all of Athens, he confirmed his assumption by asking the oracle.
In my opinion it lets him relate to the individuals who are witnessing the trail and for those who are brought charges to him and giving him the ability to freely defend himself with the “truth”. He discusses further that his speech is not prepared and improvised unlike his accusers, which their speeches where full of non truth. After questioning Meletus who is the main individual bringing Socrates before the jury on the reasonings behind his claims and somewhat embarrassing him and emphasizing how much the Athenian government needs Socrates to stay relevant through the times. At the end of his disposition the jury finds Socrates guilty, he was given the choice of his punishment and pick death suggested by Meletus, he declared that an appropriate penalty couldn't be insisted since he feels he didn't intentionally wronged
Plato, through the spoken words of Socrates, attempts to illustrate the value of education in the form of an allegory to Glaucon. In book seven of Plato’s Republic, Socrates verbalizes a realization that the average person living within their society could both think and speak without any cognizance of the Forms. In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave; with this he begins to lead Glaucon to understand the difference between genuine knowledge and opinion or belief. The allegory of the cave is supposed to explain how the people of society can appear to function well without any knowledge of Forms. Socrates invites Glaucon to imagine prisoners who have been chained since childhood
Despite Socrates' obfuscation of the charges put against him (particularly the alleged distinction between "old charges" and "new charges"), the only charges relevant to his guilt in the trial were the so-called "new charges" put forward by Meletus: 1. "corrupting the young" and 2. "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other new spiritual beings" (Apology 24b-24c). In Euthyphro, while discussing the matter immediately prior to the trial, Socrates connects the two charges, and says the indictment against him claims he corrupts the youth by
Fitzgerald refers to Plato’s teachings by illustrating how Gatsby forges a whole new identity. Gatsby, who “sprang from a platonic conception of himself” ( page:104), conceptualizes a complete new world from where he is accustomed to. He uses this new personality to live out the life he creates within his own mind. By doing this, Gatsby lives as though his mythical life is reality and every bit as real as the old one. Gatsby, like a stubborn child, believes his made up endeavors are his true life.
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.
In Euthyphro, Socrates finds himself seeking knowledge from Euthyphro as to the definition of piety because he is being prosecuted for corrupting the youth of Athens with impiety. In search for his answer, Socrates finds himself questioning the very definitions that Euthyphro gives for piety. Instead of settling for the simplistic definition, he questions the obscurity of it and searches for a deeper understanding. In an attempt to keep face with Socrates, Euthyphro modifies his definition but it too gets picked apart by further questions. This back and forth notion in pursuit of a valid definition of piety is a single example of searching for understanding and wisdom in a well-examined life.
Earlier in the Republic Socrates explains how an ideal society consist of three main classes of people, producers, warrior’s and the gauardians/rulers. He also claimed that the souls of every individual has three main part structure- rational part of the soul, which seeks after truth. A spirited part of the soul, which desires honor. An appetitive part of the soul, which lust after things. In a just individual,
Meletus has spread the rumor that Socrates is sacreligious and creates his own deities as well as sharing these ideas with the youth of Athens, and therefore corrupting them. To defend himself against these charges, Socrates asks Meletus to come forward and answer some questions. Socrates is especially skillful in the questions he asks of his antagonist, with the result that Meletus is contradicting himself and making himself look ridiculous with his amount of absurd accusations. He implies that Socrates is the only one endangering the minds of the children. All the other residents of Athens are trying to build up the minds of the youth and promoting their well being.
Socrates was brought in front of jury by a man named Meletus. This man accused Socrates of two violations of Athenian law, creating new gods not recognized by Athenians and corrupting the youth. In The Apology, which was actually not an apology at all, Socrates makes good arguments, but it wasn't about that; it was about the community's belief. Because he is teaching about and creating