“But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of them which quite amazed me; - I mean when they told you to be upon your guard, and not let yourselves be deceived by the force of my eloquence.” These are the words of Socrates, recorded by Plato, and the words that occur at the start of the trial against the Athenian philosopher. Not only that but also the foundation Socrates lays for his entire defense. Though he claims to not be an eloquent speaker, unless eloquence be measured only as truth, it becomes clear after greater examination of his defense that these claims are simply falsehoods. Whether or not Socrates was truly as unprepared as he claims to be to present himself before the court and regardless of the outcome of the jury’s final …show more content…
In an appropriate act of self-preservation, Socrates stands before the Athenian court and tells them of the kind of man he is and enlightens them of the falsities that lie within the slander spoken of him. Socrates brings out into the open accusations that were made against him a long time ago in order to prove that these statements about his were wrong. He is accused of being a wise man, investigating things in the natural world, and making the weaker speech the stronger. As pointed out by Kazutaka Kondo in “Socrates’ Rhetorical Strategy in Plato’s Apology,” Socrates seems to gain nothing out of bringing up accusations not even mentioned by the court during his trial. However, upon realizing that Socrates’ goal throughout the trial is not just to be acquitted of the charges brought against him (though this is a substantial aim of his), or to defend his notion of philosophy as good (which also occurs frequently throughout the Apology), but to change the way he is seen in the eyes of the men of Athens. In doing so Socrates will further his goal to help others achieve self-knowledge. Following along the lines of bettering his name, …show more content…
Since he had asked the audience at the beginning of his defense to not interrupt him even if something he said disturbed them, he now uses that to his advantage to and asked himself a question as if it were from a thoughtful member of the jury. The fictional person, Socrates uses to once again work his words around the court to make them think in the way that he wishes them too. He infers that his primary argument was sufficient and uses the query to lead into his next topic of discussion: his wisdom. Socrates’ has already made it know to the court that he is a wise man and he has eloquently persuaded them that he is not as bad a man as rumors would have them believe. During the second part of his argument, Socrates addresses in greater detail than the previous, his view of philosophy and takes a stance defending it. Interestingly enough, this is still being used to clear Socrates’ name and acquit him of his “crimes.” He seeks to clarify the reason that rumors about him came about in the first place. He speaks first of the Delphic Oracle and how the god told Chaerephon, regarding Socrates, that no man was wiser than he and how in an effort to bring a counter-argument to the god, the philosopher set out to interrogate men considered wise. Socrates also cites that another source of the Athenians’ distaste towards him was rooted in the youth that he taught, who
In “The Apology”, Plato’s written account of Socrates’ trial, Socrates rhetorical goal is not only to exonerate himself from the crimes he’s been accused of, but, more importantly, to show how he is devoted to the pursuit of justice. Socrates shows this by demonstrating his determination for doing what is righteous, rather than focusing on being abdicated from his crimes. Throughout his speech, Socrates uses an emotional appeal to establish himself as being on the side of truth, justice, and wisdom, and shows that by trusting in his words, the jurymen would also be in support of these principles. Furthermore, Socrates is able to establish his support of the truth and justice by addressing specific rumors and accusations set against him using an appeal to logic. These logical appeals are used to show how his defense is the truth and that the allegations against him are opinion, rumor, and unjust.
He uses phrases such as, beg of you and grant me this favor trying to win the mercy of the court. Socrates wanted the audience to be in his frame of mind by understanding the "language" in which he spoke. He made the assumption that the accusers were the ones that were lying through their eloquent words and phrases and he was just using plain style because he was telling the whole truth and was not hiding anything. Here he was insinuating that the accusers were manipulative and can not be trusted. Because there were so many people in the court he also used plain style so that everyone would be able to understand him and that he could talk to each member of the court. In the conclusion to Socrates's speech, he said that if he were destroyed, he would be destroyed with the other good men who have died and would probably be the death of many more. Socrates ends with this because he wanted to leave the court with a heavy heart and to insinuate that innocent men, such as himself, have been sentenced to death and he is sure that he will not be the last. Socrates almost seemed to have an arrogant tone in his speech in which he didn't seem to fully show respect for the court. It almost seemed as if he was talking down to them. He was interrupted several times in
The Trial and Death of Socrates recounts his attempt to persuade the jury that he has committed no wrongdoing. Socrates has been charged with creating new gods, not acknowledging existing gods recognized by the state, and negatively influencing Athens’s youth. While the narrative is titled “The Apology,” that word poorly describes Socrates’s argument for his innocence. In fact, he continuously makes many statements which may lead people to believe that he is above the law itself. Throughout his plea, Socrates refuses to believe that he is at fault while confidently speaking quite highly of himself. Most people on trial create arguments that would appeal to the jury, but not Socrates. He firmly stands by his beliefs even though they lead him
Plato’s Apology is a narrative of the famous speech of Socrates that is made during his trial. Instead of apologizing, Socrates attempts to defend himself and his actions. He is put on trial due to his accusations of corrupting Athens, not acknowledging the same gods as the state, and creating new gods. During his dialogue, Socrates remains very calm and speaks with honesty. He focuses on what is said rather than his manner of speech.
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." Plato's Apology is the speech Socrates made at his trial. Socrates was charged with not recognizing the
Towards the end of Socrates' defense he states, " They enjoy hearing these being questioned who think they are wise, but are not." Socrates is telling the jury that he has been honest with them and that he does not corrupt the youth, the youth and others follow him around for the reason in quotations. This was Socrates' defense.
Socrates, the great philosopher and teacher was a man of great wisdom. His way of sharing this wisdom was sometimes rather unpopular among other teachers. His students loved him, they adored him. Plato adored Socrates right until the very end. Apology Plato’s recount of what happened in the courtroom on the day of Socrates’ trial. During the trial Plato, and other students of Socrates, are sitting and laughing quietly amongst themselves. They see all of the irony in the situation that the accusers of the court simply do not. From studying Plato’s Apology I have learned that Socrates was extremely sassy, he was an ass, and that, in the end, Socrates was charged unjustly.
Socrates is at the age of seventy and appearing in a law court for the first time. For the people of Socrates time is accusing Socrates, for miss leading the youth corrupting them and boasting about being wise, causing him to become very unpopular. Socrates says to the jury I am going to speak the whole truth, for it is me by myself that I have to defend. He says my accusers are many and I don’t know them, they say, “you should be careful not be deceived by an accomplished speaker like me” (Cohen, Curd, & Reeve, 2000). The accuser goes on to say that Socrates is accomplished speaker; Socrates starts to praise them, because their lies are so good well put together, that Socrates himself is almost convinced but then he says that they do not
After reading “The Apology,” I decided to respond about how Socrates used the Socratic Method during his trial. Socrates, using this method, crafted a personal defense against the allegations laid upon him and, at the same time, Socrates led Miletus to trap himself as a part of that defense. I believe that Socrates’ decision to defend himself in this manner brings up some important considerations. First, Socrates using the Socratic Method as an integral part of his defense not only unraveled most of Miletus’ support, but Socrates was able to showcase his wisdom to the people of the court to show them what kind of person Socrates was when he acted as he usual did. Secondly, Socrates, through his attack on Miletus showed the people of the court the potential threat that Socrates could have been this entire time had that been his focus. Both of these considerations are possible only because Socrates’ used his method of questioning to craft a defense for himself.
When Socrates first began by acknowledging that he is not an accomplished speaker and does not know it all. Instead he began to explain that he felt that it was his duty that he questioned the wise men and expose them as fakes. While the youth may look up to him because he was not afraid to speak his mind, those who were older looked at him with resentment. It is because of this resentment that so many came out to accuse him and stand against him in a trial.
Socrates believes that the jury who charged him guilty for corrupting the youth, and disrespecting the city’s gods are political unwise, since his philosophy advocates truth and justice. The Apology is an emblem for the violation of free articulation, with Socrates justifying his lifestyle as a philosopher and protecting the utility of logic for political life. Socrates believes that laws that undermine the use of philosophy in the society are unjust and should be relinquished. Additionally, his intelligence makes the authorities in Athens uncomfortable and they view it as a way of destabilizing the society.
In the Apology, Socrates aimed to do three things: defend his ideas and principles, continue to teach those who will open their mind and state that he knew regardless of what he said he was aware that all five hundred and one jurors knew who he was and disliked him. Socrates was well aware of the fact that he had made multiple enemies, he knew that the politicians, poets, rich and craftsmen all
According to the majority of the jury members of Athens, Socrates is a corruption to the youth, doer of evil and does not agree with the gods of his people. In the Apology, written by Plato these are the assumptions and accusations Socrates is held in court for. In court, he is faced with what most men fear, being wrongly accused leading to the death sentence. Socrates argues and strives to prove that he has no fear of being hated, being accused of serious crimes, being threatened with punishment, or being put to death.
In The Trial and Death of Socrates: Apology by Plato, a philosopher in Classical Greece and founder of the Academy in Athens, Plato tries to capture the attention of the former jurors to try to rehabilitate Socrates’s innocence and mention the inconsiderate actions of the jurors towards Socrates. Plato, present at the trial, made him a valid candidate to speak on Socrates’ behalf and declare his innocence to the former jurors. Through Socrates’ words, Plato’s goal is to evoke Socrates’s innocence through his apology.
Socrates begins his defense by asking the jury to clear their minds of the false venoms they heard about him, keep an open mind, and listen to what he has to say. It is important to note that before Socrates truly begins to defend himself, he apologizes to the jury and begs them to “disregard the manner of [his] speech—for perhaps it might be worse and perhaps better—and observe and pay attention merely to this, whether what [he] say is just or not,” 1 as he never stood before a jury before and does not know how these procedures go. Socrates states that he shall first defend himself against the early and false accusations made against him throughout the