Essay about Plato’s Apology - 933 Words

Plato’s Apology Socrates was a very simple man who did not have many material possessions and spoke in a plain, conversational manner. Acknowledging his own ignorance, he engaged in conversations with people claiming to be experts, usually in ethical matters. By asking simple questions, Socrates gradually revealed that these people were in fact very confused and did not actually know anything about the matters about which they claimed to be an expert. Socrates felt that the quest for wisdom and the instruction of others through dialogue and inquiry were the highest aims in life. He felt that The unexamined life is not worth living. Platos Apology is the speech Socrates made at his trial. Socrates was charged with not recognizing the†¦show more content†¦He believed that the reason he was put on trial was because he embarrassed many people. Socrates compared himself to a gadfly stinging the lazy horse, which is the Athenian state. Without him, Socrates claimed, the state would drift into a d eep sleep, but through his influence it can be awakened. Socrates was found guilty by a narrow margin and was asked to come up with a penalty. Socrates suggested that if he were to get what he deserved, he should be honored with a great meal for being of such service to the state. He rejected the sentences of prison or exile, offering instead to pay a fine. When the jury rejected his suggestions and sentenced him to death, Socrates accepted the verdict and said that no one but the gods know what happens after death and so it would be foolish to fear what one does not know. He also warned the people who voted against him that by silencing him rather than listening to him, they have harmed themselves much more than they have harmed him. Socrates opened his case by asking the jury to listen to him openly and to pardon him if he went into his usual style of speaking. His accusers had already spoken against him in the flowery manner common in courts of law. Socrates said that his accusers speeches contained great refinement and skill, and he lacked the ability to speak so well. However, he said that he would speak the truth while his opponents lied. Socrates also stated that while his accusers’ speeches wereShow MoreRelated Platos Apology Essay1086 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos Apology Plato’s Apology is the story of the trial of Socrates, the charges brought against him and his maintaining of his own innocence throughout the process. At the onset of the trial, Socrates appears to challenging the charges, which included corrupting the youth, challenging belief in the gods that were accepted and reveled by the State, and introducing a new religious focus, but also belittles his own significance and suggesting that he will not attempt to disprove thatRead More Platos Apology Essay794 Words   |  4 PagesPlato’s Apology In the retelling of his trial by his associate, Plato, entitled â€Å"The Apology†; Socrates claims in his defense that he only wishes to do good for the polis. I believe that Socrates was innocent of the accusations that were made against him, but he possessed contempt for the court and displayed that in his conceitedness and these actions led to his death. In his defense, Socrates claims over and again that he is innocent and is not at all wise, â€Å"†¦for I know that I haveRead MorePlatos The Apology Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pageswas – such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a word of truth.† – Plato â€Å"The Apology† In â€Å"The Apology,† Socrates represents himself in his own trial. He boldly questions the morality of the people of court. In this report, I will be analyzing portions of â€Å"The Apology† in order to reveal the intellectuality of this text within this time frame. I will only discuss bits of â€Å"The Apologyâ€Å" on account that it is a lengthy piece. However, before discussing the speech it is important toRead MorePlatos The Allegory of the Cave as Means to Explain The Apology1672 Words   |  7 PagesEhrecke Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† As Means to Explain â€Å"The Apology† Authors sometimes use one work to explain or elaborate on the intricacies of another piece of theirs. Plato is one such example as he uses â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† as means to better decipher â€Å"The Apology of Socrates.† Plato himself never appears in either dialogue, but it is clear that he disagrees with how Socrates’s trial ended and hopes to prevent another unneeded execution in the future. In â€Å"The Apology of SocratesRead MoreAnalysis Of Platos Apology On The Man Of Save The Day, But Not Himself1285 Words   |  6 PagesHimself An Analysis of Plato’s Apology Socrates, painted as a humble man who never had any of his own writings, and often speculated to be illiterate, is considered one of the major partisans of Western philosophy. Western philosophy is the philosophical thought of the western world. This idea proves to be quite accurate when considering Plato’s Apology, the apology of Socrates which is not really considered an apology but a defense. In the ancient Greek era, the word apology meant to defend one’sRead MorePlatos The Apology659 Words   |  3 Pages Platos The Apology is an account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial where he is charged for various reasons; not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates did not win over the jury pleading his case, and was therefore sentenced to execution. It can be said that Plato’s Apology of Sokrates, although an unsuccessful attempt at defending Socrates on the charges of corruption the youth of Athens, is a successful defenseRead MorePlatos The Apology792 Words   |  3 PagesPlato’s The Apology is the speech that Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, creating new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. Even though the title of Socrates’ speech is The Apology, it is not an apology for his actions, but rather he attempts to defend himself and his conduct. The apology has made me reflect on whether a person should focus on i mproving himself or herself, or should they focus on improving other peopleRead MoreEssay on Platos Apology932 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos Apology At the elderly age of seventy, Socrates found himself fighting against an indictment of impiety. He was unsuccessful at trial in the year 399 B.C. The charges were corrupting the youth of Athens, not believing in the traditional gods in whom the city believed, and finally, that he believed in other new divinities. In Platos Apology, Socrates defends himself against these charges. He claims that the jurors opinions are biased because they had probably all seen AristophanesRead MorePlatos Apology And Crito1036 Words   |  5 PagesIn Plato’s â€Å"Apology† and â€Å"Crito†, I believe Socrates’ philosophy of not doing harmful things on purpose, because of ignorance, or the act of doing it unwillingly, is false. First I will show you some contradictions introduced in the books of the Apology, and Crito and explain them. Next, I will explain how in the present day Socrates philosophy is false due to the vices of mankind, with evidence from the Apology, then I will show you how Socrates might argue his point and a counter argument in presentRead MorePlatos The Republic and The Apology1714 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s The Republic and The Apology, the topic of justice is examined from multiple angles in an attempt to discover what justice is, as well as why living a just life is desirable. Plato, writing through Socrates, identifies in The Republic what he thought justice was through the creation of an ideal city and an ideal soul. Both the ideal city and the ideal soul have three components which, when all are acting harmoniously, create what Socrates considers to be justice. Before he outlines this