Platos Apology Essay - 1086 Words

Platos 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 that he participated in the actions maintained by the court. In essence, Socrates appears almost self-effacing, and his defense surprises even his accuser, Meletus. But by the end of the Apology, Socrates becomes almost a different person,†¦show more content†¦Early in the Apology, Socrates argues that the charges of Meletus are not only false, but have led to the rise of prejudice against him, and he demonstrates this through what he considers his own reflection on the charges against him. Socrates sugge sts the indictment against him should read: â€Å"Socrates is guilty of engaging in inquiries into things beneath the earth and in the heaven, of making the weaker argument appear the stronger, and of teaching others the same things†. Socrates suggests that the breadth of the indictment against him could encompass the premises supported by many men, and that it is only through the prejudice against him, the belief in his wisdom purported by some, and the sense that Socrates has influenced men that has resulted in the charges, not through the true belief that Socrates has taken actions against the State. Perhaps it is the divided sentiments of the vote that impact Socrates, or perhaps just his realization that from the onset, he would have been condemned not matter what his arguments, but Socrates appears to transform himself after the votes are cast. Socrates is given the opportunity to propose an alternative sentence to the death penalty proposed by Meletus, and many men would have begged for mercy, asked for forgiveness, claimed to repent for their actions, and request leniency. Socrates, though, demonstrates not only his strength in hisShow MoreRelated 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 MoreEssay about Plato’s Apology933 Words   |  4 Pages 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 andRead 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