The Apology

1
The Apology

• Philosophy 21
• Fall, 2004
• G. J. Mattey

2
Socrates on Trial

• Socrates was defending himself against two
  charges brought forth by Meletus
• Corruption of the youth of Athens by turning them
  against religion
• Innovation in religious matters
• The real complaints against Socrates were
• Being a wise man who claimed knowledge of
  religious matters beyond the earth
• Making the worse argument appear stronger

3
The Sophists

• It was the Sophists who claimed to make the worse
  argument appear better
• Their goal is mere persuasion, even it this
  requires eloquent falsehood
• The goal of Socrates was to speak the truth in a
  plain way

4
Wisdom

• The Delphic Oracle had stated that no one is
  wiser than Socrates
• Since Socrates did not think he was wise, he
  unsuccessfully sought out someone wiser
• The more prominent the person, the less wise
  Politicians are especially deficient in wisdom
• The conclusion Socrates drew was that wisdom is
  worthless, which perhaps no one else realized
• By exposing pretensions to wisdom, Socrates was
  serving the Oracle

5
Corruption of Youth

• Bad people do harm to those around them
• So by corrupting the young people around him,
  Socrates was endangering himself
• But he is not so ignorant as to do this
  deliberately
• So either he does not corrupt youth, or he does
  not do so willingly

6
Atheism

• Meletus charged Socrates with not believing in
  the gods of Athens
• But Socrates tried to work in service of the
  gods, so he must believe they exist
• He was following a divine voice (his dæmon)
• Socrates also does not fear death, as is
  befitting for someone in divine service
• Fear of death is a sign of pretended wisdom, and
  the wise person recognizes our ignorance about
  what follows life

7
Excellence of the Soul

• It is wicked and shameful to do wrong
• Socratess mission is to teach that each person
  should attain the best possible state of the soul
• Excellence of the soul yields wealth and other
  goods, rather than vice-versa
• The soul of the better man cannot be harmed by
  the acts of the worse

8
The Jury

• The jury can bring no harm to Socrates
• But by condemning a man carrying out a useful
  mission of the gods, they can harm themselves
• There would be no one left to expose their
  pretensions to wisdom

9
The Mission

• Socratess mission, to teach the Athenians to
  care for virtue, is unnatural
• He has neglected ordinary affairs
• He cannot participate in public affairs, as the
  path of virtue only got him into trouble
• He is not a teacher, gaining nothing material
  from his open discussions
• None of those whom he allegedly corrupted brought
  any charges against him.

10
Guilty

• It is shameful to beg for mercy from the jury, so
  Socrates does not do so
• The jury responds by finding him guilty
• Meletus asks fro the death penalty
• Socrates ironically proposes that instead he be
  rewarded for the benefits he has bestowed upon
  the Athenians
• Recommending a punishment would be recommending
  that evil be done to him

11
Punishment

• Socrates does not want to be imprisoned
• He has no money to pay a fine
• If exiled, he would meet the same fate again
• Finally, he proposes to pay a fine from funds
  provided by his friends, including Plato
• The jury sentences him to death

12
Shame

• The jury will bring shame upon themselves for
  executing a man widely thought to be wise
• They have only convicted and sentenced him to
  death because he refused to beg
• It would be shameful to live under such
  circumstances

13
Consequences

• The jury will create a greater problem by
  eliminating Socrates
• His followers will be emboldened
• They will miss the opportunity to improve
  themselves, if they discredit him instead

14
Death

• The divine sign has not opposed Socratess
  defense, so it is a good thing for him to die
• Death is either a dreamless sleep or a passage to
  another life
• A dreamless sleep is desirable
• In an afterlife, Socrates would be judged by
  upright judges and join the company of the dead
  sages
• A good man cannot be harmed in life or death