1

I. Introduction

“The name of the dialogue derives from the Greek “apologia”, which translates as

a defence, or a speech made in defense.”1 “In the Apology, Plato discusses the trial of his

teacher Socrates. In one of the more dramatic pieces of world literature, Socrates is put

on trial for promoting atheism and corrupting the youth of Athens, and during his

defence he makes the famous statement that “unexamined life is not worth living.” It

could be that Socrates was brought to trial as a result of his constant use of his Socratic

method-persistently questioning and answering his Athenian colleagues, often quite

impolitely. Through this method he challenged traditional ideas and showed that most

people did not know what they pretended to know. According to many of his

contemporaries, philosophers such as Socrates undermined the foundations of society

by casting doubt on traditional ideas. The heart of Socrates’ defense was that his method

of philosophy was not a threat to Athens, but was instead of the greatest value to that

city; he was in effect a nagging but useful pest on the body politic through his constant

personal and fearless pursuit of truth. Athenian legal tradition permitted a defendant to

speak at the end of a trial and suggest his own sentence.”2

1
Unknown, The Summary of Plato’s Apology. Http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/summary
.html. Accessed on August 16, 2016.
2
Samuel Enoch Stumpf and James Fieser, Philosophy (History and Readings), eight edition, (New
York:McGraw-Hill Companies,2012), 32.
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II. Oracle of Delphi

“A friend of Socrates' went to the Oracle and asked the God of Delphi

"Who is the wisest of mortals?" and the god replied: "Socrates is the most wise.”

When Socrates heard this he was surprised, since he thought of himself as "most

ignorant. After some hesitation, he sought to show the saying wrong by finding

someone wiser than he. He began to question various people, including

politicians, poets, and craftsmen. In each encounter the person made a claim that

he was in possession of some kind of wisdom or absolute knowledge. The

knowledge relates to the spheres of what might be called value, the problems of

God, the Good, and the Beautiful. After "testing" the saying of the god, Socrates

became aware of the truth of the saying that "Socrates is most wise." Socrates was

most wise because he was AWARE of his ignorance. (This is how Socratic

Wisdom is related to Socratic Ignorance.) And, in a profound sense, those around

Socrates, those who claimed "knowledge" in the sphere of values, were ignorant

of their ignorance.”3

a) The existence of the wisest man

Socrates cannot believe that he was the wisest among the others why?

Because he knew in himself that he doesn’t know everything. You see how

humble he was to accept that he has no wisdom great or small, so he keeps on

questioning other people, until, the time came that the people in Athens were so

3
Unknown, Analysis of Plato’s Apology. Available at
http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html. Accessed on August 17, 2016.
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annoyed of what he was doing. And so they accused him of corrupting the minds

of the youth and impiety.

III. Socrates Defends his Course of Life

Socrates has three sets of accusers namely Meletus one of the poets, Lycon

one of the orators and Anytus of the craftsmen and politicians. Meletus was the

one who brought him before the jury. When he accused him that he is corrupting

the youth of Athens; he said that “Socrates is the person in Athens who is

responsible for the corruption of the youth.”4They also accused Socrates as

impious person who does not recognized gods. “In a famous passage, Socrates

likens himself to a gadfly stinging the lazy horse which is the Athenian state.

Without him, Socrates claims, the state is liable to drift into a deep sleep, but

through his influence—irritating as it may be to some, it can be wakened into

productive and virtuous action.”5

a) Corrupting the Youth

Meletus was angry with Socrates because of his low esteem about poets.

The children in Athens were already imitating Socrates on how to live correctly

without pretending to be wise. If Socrates is alive today we can see him in

markets, malls, and streets in other words we can see him in public places.

4
Unknown, Analysis of Plato’s Apology. Available at
http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html. Accessed on August 17, 2016.
5
Unknown, The Summary of Plato’s Apology. Http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/summary
.html. Accessed on August 16, 2016.
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b) Impiety

Athenian people believed in many gods and they must praise all of them to

make peace. And in return gods will pour graces. But when it comes to Socrates

there is only one God to praise. As we all know that Socrates is beyond mythos he

is already in the age of logos (reason), so he cannot easily accept that. That is

why he keeps on asking and asking others about their beliefs. Because of that he

was accused of impiety.

IV. Socrates responds to the Verdict

“Socrates tells the men of Athens that he wants to be judged according to

his account of himself and not by any other standard, such as appealing to his old

age or the fact that he has children. Thus Socrates wishes to be judged and not

"forgiven" or let off for any other reason than that it is just to do so.”6 “Shall I

imprisonment? And why should I live in prison, and be the slave of the

magistrates of the year of Eleven? Or shall the penalty be a fine, and

imprisonment until the fine is paid? And if I say exile (and this may possibly be

the penalty which you will affix), I must indeed be blinded by the love of

life.”7“Socrates is found guilty by a margin of some 30 votes. The penalty

proposed is death by hemlock.”8

6
Unknown, Analysis of Plato’s Apology. Available at
http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html. Accessed on August 17, 2016.
7
Samuel Enoch Stumpf and James Fieser, Philosophy (History and Readings), eight edition, (New
York:McGraw-Hill Companies,2012), 49.
8
Unknown, Analysis of Plato’s Apology. Available at
http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html. Accessed on August 17, 2016.
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a) The Digression on Death

Socrates proposed an alternate penalty since his whole life is a service in

the city. He wanted free meals for the rest of his life but the juries did not allow

him because the penalty was death by drinking the hemlock. The people of

Athens intimidated Socrates of death but Socrates ask them “what is the true

meaning of death” and they were not able to define it, so how can you fear

something if you do not know what is the meaning of that thing.

V. Socrates consoles his friends

“Friends, who would have acquitted me, I would like also to talk with you

about the thing which has come to pass, while the magistrates are busy, and

before I go to the place at which I must die. Stay then a little, for we may as we

talk with one another while there is time.”9“There is another reason for being

confident that death is a good thing. Death is one of two things; either it is like

the dead person being nothing at all, and having no consciousness of anything at

all; or, as we are told, it is actually some sort of change, a journey of the soul from

this place to somewhere different.”10 “And now for I am about to die, I would fain

prophesy to you, who are my murderers. For I say that there will be more

accusers of you than there are now; the easiest and the noblest way is not to

disabling others, but to be improving yourselves. This is the prophecy which I

9
Samuel Enoch Stumpf and James Fieser, Philosophy (History and Readings), eight edition, (New
York:McGraw-Hill Companies,2012), 48.
10
Walter Kaufmann, Ancient Philosophy, second edition, volume 1, (United States of America: RR
Donnelley and Sons Company, 1997), 98.
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utter before my departure to the judges who condemned me.” 11 “Wherefore, O

judges, be a good cheer about death, and know of certainty, that no evil can

happen to a good man. When my sons are grown up, I would ask you, O my

friends, to punish them; and I would have you trouble them, as I have troubled

you, if they seem to care about riches, or anything more than about virtue; or if

they pretend to be something when they are really nothing, then reprove them, as

I have reproved you.”12

Socrates had his final speeches against those who voted for his death and

those who voted for his acquittal. Socrates might have died of old age, if weren’t

of these accusations, unfortunately his death was unnatural. He only used the

term judges for those who voted for his acquittal because they knew that Socrates

did not corrupt them instead he helped them. If he enters hell, he would have the

opportunity to meet the great thinkers and heroes, and have the chance to ask

them the same question that he asked the men of Athens. But before his

departure he consoled his friends and his three children. Socrates told his friends

to take care of his children because he wanted his children to live with virtues

rather than wealth and to live by themselves rather than to be pretentious.

11
Samuel Enoch Stumpf and James Fieser, Philosophy (History and Readings), eighth edition, (New
York:McGraw-Hill Companies,2012), 48.
12
Ibid., 49.
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VI. Conclusion

Plato was influenced a lot by Socrates in his writings. Apology is one of the

unique works of Plato because it was not written in dialogue. Socrates’ trial is very

interesting; it tends to be dramatic by their very nature. The Apology is composed of

four parts; the Oracle of Delphi, the Defense Proper, Socrates Responded to the Verdict

and Socrates Consoled his Friends. Meletus, one of the accusers of Socrates questioned

his wisdom, where he accused him of corrupting the youth and being impious by not

recognizing their gods. Socrates defended himself through speech. His arguments were

very solid with honesty and directness. He defended himself in the first charge and that

is corrupting the youth. Socrates wanted only not to let the youth to be more on cross-

examination, he wanted them not to pretend that they know everything but actually they

do not. Because for Socrates, that is not true wisdom. The second charge to him is

impiety, actually Socrates believed in divinity (God). All of these accusations were lies.

But sad to say he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Socrates refers to himself as a

gadfly, who stings a horse that is going to sleep deeply and that is the city of Athens. For

me, he must not die in that time because by his influential teachings the people in

Athens may know what really the meaning of true wisdom was. We can attain true

wisdom through studying and hard work. We don’t need to pretend that we know

everything so that we can be recognized by others as Socrates said “Unexamined life is

not worth living.” Who then is Socrates? He is someone who is aware of his ignorance!
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stumpf, Samuel Enoch and Fieser, James. Philosophy: (History and Readings), Eighth

edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 1979, 48.

Kaufman, Walter. Ancient Philosophy. Second edition, Volume 1. United States of

America: RR Donnelley and Sons Company, 1997, 98.

Http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/summary .html. Accessed on August

16, 2016.

http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html.

Accessed on August 17, 2016.