Followers

9/26/2010

On Apology

Notes on Plato's Apology
by Zakri Kneebone
Intro to Philosophy, Fall '10, MW 3:15pm


Socrates is speaking at his trial and facing his accusers who he claims have accused him on false pretenses. There is very little grounds to ascertain whether indeed his claim is true because nothing is directly quoted of the plaintiffs. (Linder 2002 states that there is no known record of the plaintiffs' arguments.) However he makes valid arguments to nullify the charges against him.
Socrates stands accused of heresy, that is to say, speaking against the gods of Athens. He claims that his accusers are corrupt and malicious. He says his philosophy was a duty to the gods as he was told there was no one wiser than he by the Oracle. He decided therefore he must seek out and find someone who was wiser than he and it was on this quest that he insulted people of wealth and renown and it is for this he was being persecuted.
Socrates was also accused of teaching his heretical ways to others. He answered this charge by saying that he took no money and thus he could not be considered a teacher. The people who did follow him were doing so of their own volition. They would harass those whom he chastised. In fact, though his followers forged two brutal and attritious coup d'etats that are considered anti-democratic. However, Socrates pointed to his resistance of the Thirty Tyrants at the trial as evidence in his favor. (Linder, 2002)
Here I will diagram Socrates' argument. The legend is as follows: Corruption of the accusers (1), Duty to the Oracle (2), He did not teach (3), Resistance to wrong-doing (4) and finally, Conclusion of innocence (5). Points 2, 3 and 4 converge to tout his virtue, while point 1 attacks the virtue of the plaintiffs.



Bibliography

The Trial of Socrates by Douglas O. Linder, J.D., Professor of Law, UMKC School of Law, 2002. Self-published on www.umkc.edu as part of his Famous Trials series, retrieved on September 26, 2010 from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/socrates/socratesaccount.html

No comments: