Socrates The Apology Analysis

1738 Words4 Pages

As you continue to read along this long speech “The Apology”, it is indeed not written by Socrates. In fact it was his apprentice Plato that had wrote this for the trial that Socrates was charged for. The many things that Socrates was put onto trial was not recognizing the gods that are being worshipped day to day, inventing new deities, and corrupting the young Athenian minds. You would think that this would be an apology from Socrates, but the more you read the more it leads away from an apology. In “The Apology”, Socrates attempts to defend himself and his actions, but most definitely not apologizing.
As we all know Socrates was a man of knowledge and wisdom. He believed the knowledge comes from within, which is the soul. He also believed
Socrates developed different techniques for teaching methods such as critical thinking techniques and also examination techniques. These techniques are used in ones daily lives ranging from normal ordinary people going shopping to studious students. For example, students will be able to put examination and experimentation techniques to good use because it will help them learn and to think for themselves instead of having a mentor pave the learning road for them. This method is known today as trial and error. Another great technique that is also quite effective is the critical thinking technique. Using this, students would be forced to think outside of the box which pushes students to also think further than the question being asked, such as thinking as to why certain things work like this instead of how it works. No matter the ups and downs that Socrates faces, he will always stand by his beliefs and actions because he believes what he is doing is right and helpful toward the Athenians. He also believes that he is backed up by God. Here you can see Socrates expressing his thoughts, “Men of Athens, I honour and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have lie and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy, exhorting any one whom I meet and saying to him after my manner:
This quote also shows that Socrates is also trying to convince the people around him that there are more worthwhile things than money and expensive things, such as knowledge and wisdom. Overall, Socrates values his teachings (which are wisdom and gaining knowledge is more important than money and materialistic things) so much that he is willing to “die many times” (The Apology) to try to convince people that his teachings are precious life lessons that will benefit the

Show More
Related

  • Who Is Pericles Wise

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout all the years, he never could find anyone as wise as himself, and all he did was make enemies searching. These enemies are now his accusers, and they accuse him of spreading evil doctrines, corrupting the youth, and not believing in the Gods. Throughout the speech, Socrates continues to shoot down every accuser and it is evident that he has done no wrong. Eventually, one of his accusers states that he must be doing something strange and that he wouldnt be that famous if he were like other men. Socrates did not live a very public life unlike most people at that time. His thoughts of being virteous had more to do with examining yourself and becoming a better person and in that way, you benifit society. He did not believe Athens to be virtuos at all, and that they relied on materail things and reputation rather than finding happiness by searching for it deep within

    Read More

  • The Apology and Crito

    345 Words  | 1 Pages

    Plato’s "Apology" gives the substance of the defense made by Socrates to the Athenians at his trial. Meletus, Anytus and Lyncon brought Socrates to court on charges of corrupting the morals of the youth, leading the youth away from the principals of democracy, neglecting the Gods of the State and introducing new divinities.

    Read More

  • The Apology: A Philosophical Way Of Life

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Pierre Hadot, “Thus philosophy was a way of life, both in its exercise and effort to achieve wisdom, and its goal, wisdom itself. For real wisdom does not merely cause us to know: it makes us “be” in a different way” ( Pierre 265) This explanation of a philosophical way of life is in all ways the definition of Socrates’ life. Socrates made his way through his entire life living in this way, seeking out wisdom, seeking out answers and never once got in trouble with the court until the age of seventy years old. He believed that by telling people about ignorance and wisdom, that he was only doing so for the good of the people. Socrates even goes as far as saying, “I am that Gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you”(Plato 9). Socrates believes that he was sent from God to show people a different way of life, a life of questioning and reason to which he should teach to all people. When asked if he was ashamed of a course of life of which would likely bring him to an untimely end Socrates says, “you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong” (Plato 7).

    Read More

  • Socrates In The Apology And 'The Allegory Of The Cave'

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    This quote can be used to argue what kind things he would say to our society by providing an example of what his beliefs are. He is saying that once we can only become philosophers we will be able to stop indulging ourselves with our senses and only use them when necessary. Socrates point view of philosophy is when one wants to acquire prudence and irrefutable truth, which was discussed in a classroom community among classmates, simply when wants continuously want to learn and can never be satisfied with what they know. By learning, what Socrates means is our soul 's recollecting knowledge that body hinders the soul from remembering. This is seen in Meno where Socrates shows Meno how a boy figuring out the answers to a question is actually recollecting the knowledge instead of learning something new. He would make a statement about our education system and what we currently see as knowledge what was we should see as knowledge. The way we should learn by his definition would be to have classroom discussions sessions as agreed upon by critical think by my classmates and myself in a philosophy course. Socrates would tell us how we would need to focus on recollecting and focus on feeding our soul instead of our bodies, how we would need to make major changes such as our use of technology for only necessary uses and not merely for mindless entertainment much like how we all use laptops, phones, and the

    Read More

  • Socrates and His Innocence

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socrates lived such a private life that it lead to the most important revelation of his entire life. He would go about his life doing nothing but self-examination. In examining his life so strenuously others would come to him to be taught, or to have their children be taught by Socrates. They would offer him money and he would refuse. They would do whatever they could to learn anything Socrates had to teach. What they did not know is that Socrates was not teaching anyone he was simply going about his usual life and people just happened to learn from it. This was also why Socrates was put on trial. He was brought up on two charges, one of impiety and the other of corrupting the youth. These two charges set the course for the last month of his life.

    Read More

  • Aristotle And Plato's Apology: Plato And Aristotle

    1797 Words  | 4 Pages

    Socrates attempts to make other people reason well and therefore be virtuous by performing their human function; I believe that this action inwardly reflects Socrates’s own virtue. For example, if a professor can effectively teach mathematics to his students, then he most likely holds knowledge of the subject within himself. In a similar way, Socrates instills virtue in other people, which shows that he himself is a virtuous being. Although some people criticize him, evidence of his positive impact is reinforced by the approval and support of his friends in the Apology. While promoting virtue when alive, Socrates wishes to continue to encourage virtue even after death. For example, at the onset of his death, Socrates asks the jurors to ensure that his sons are given grief if they care for anything else more than virtue (Plato and Grube 44). While Socrates could have been thinking about himself or other things at that moment, he is thinking of how to guide people towards living virtuously. Both his actions while living and his intentions after death reveal that Socrates wished to aid people in living virtuous lives, which highlight his own state of

    Read More

  • Perception And Imagery In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socrates believed that when people have an epiphany they must share their realization through questioning of others which removes ignorance. This is evident in the Apology as Socrates state “I go around seeking out anyone, citizen or stranger, whom I think wise. Then if I do not think he is, I come to the assistance of the god and show him that he is not wise” (Hackett, p.27 23b). Socrates questioned people’s belief to breakdown their ignorance thus rising their perception to the same realization he claims “This man among you, mortals, is wisest who, like Socrates, understands that his wisdom is worthless” (Hackett, p.27 23b). Similarly, in my life as many people around me believe that life is about the accumulation of wealth thus I feel obligated to persuade my epiphany that life is more than about money, more than a big house, or a trophy wife that it’s about the rediscovery of self through various expression in the external world.

    Read More

  • An Apology From Socrates

    1717 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Apology is Socrates' defense at his trial. As the dialogue begins, Socrates notes that his accusers have cautioned the jury against Socrates' eloquence, according to Socrates, the difference between him and his accusers is that Socrates speaks the truth. Socrates distinguished two groups of accusers: the earlier and the later accusers. The earlier group is the hardest to defend against, since they do not appear in court. He is all so accused of being a Sophist: that he is a teacher and takes money for his teaching. He attempts to explain why he has attracted such a reputation. The oracle was asked if anyone was wiser than Socrates was. The answer was no, there was no man wiser. Socrates cannot believe this oracle, so he sets out to disprove it by finding someone who is wiser. He goes to a politician, who is thought wise by him self and others. Socrates does not think this man to be wise and tells him so. As a consequence, the politician hated Socrates, as did others who heard the questioning. "I am better off, because while he knows nothing but thinks that he knows, I neither know nor think that I know" (Socrates). He questioned politicians, poets, and artisans. He finds that the poets do not write from wisdom, but by genius and inspiration. Meletus charges Socrates with being "a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the State, and has other new divinities of his own."

    Read More

  • The Trail Of Socrates And The Apology Of Plato

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Socrates was a Wise and Harmless Man

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates was a traveling teacher and talked and challenged everyone he met. Socrates taught the art of persuasive speaking. He did not charge people money like most of the other Sophists did, but he did have similar beliefs as the Sophists. Sophists thought that our minds are cut off from reality and that we are stuck in our own opinions of what the world was like. Socrates believed that reason or nature could not tell us why the world is the way it appears. The Sophists' point of view is best summed up as this: we can never step out of the way things appear.

    Read More

  • Plato's Apology

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his defense, Socrates claims over and again that he is innocent and is not at all wise, “…for I know that I have no wisdom, small or great.” Throughout the rest of his oration he seems to act the opposite as if he is better than every man, and later he even claims that, “At any rate, the world has decided that Socrates is in some way superior to other men.” This seems to be his greatest mistake, claiming to be greater than even the jury.

    Read More

  • Socrates In The Apology

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).”

    Read More

  • Socrates Apology Analysis

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    He applies this logic to mean that he must go around Athens and show others that they are not actually wise, so that they can become intelligent like him. As a result, he feels he is helping the society of Athens as a whole. By a small number, Socrates is found guilty and the jury comes to a decision to put Socrates to death. To further his display of haughty behavior Socrates’ response is to say in a mostly joking manner that the city should be giving him a medal of honor. He continues on to reject exile and prison time, suggesting that he pay a fine. Socrates’ reaction is unlike what is to be expected. He believes that it is ridiculous to fear the after-life because it does not make sense to fear things he does not know (29c). When given a chance to defend himself Socrates doesn’t cry, beg, or bring family matters into the courtroom, thinking it better to die after an honorable defense than live on against his own

    Read More

  • Socrates and the Sophists

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socrates was a philosopher who set out to prove, to the gods, that he wasn't the wisest man. Since he could not afford a "good" Sophist teacher, surely a student of one had to be smarter than he. He decides to converse with the youth of Athens, but concludes that he actually is wiser than everyone he speaks with. He then realizes that their lack of intelligence is the fault of their teachers. Socrates understands that the practice of "sophism" leads to a lack of self-knowledge and moral values. Socrates was later accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and put on trial. In The Apology of Socrates he sta...

    Read More

  • Socrates Beliefs

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." Socrates said. Socrates was one of the worlds biggest influence on ethics and ways of thinking. He taught all his students to question everything and to never settle for one answer. He was a Greek philosopher in the city of Athens who mainly focused on ethics, western philosophy and his own methods, like the Socrates method and Socratic irony. He later influenced many philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Aristippus. Socrates was a classical writer who's methods and views and ethics are highly debated and talked about in schools today.

    Read More

More about Socrates The Apology Analysis

Open Document