The Apology
Socrates begins his apology by discussing the terms of truth and persuasion. In this he draws a contrast on a moral level, "Â…so persuasively did they speak. And yet hardly anything of what they said was true" (Plato p.29, 17a). From this he draws the basis for the rest of his apology, the fact that while what his accusers say may be very persuasive it eludes the truth. Socrates classifies himself as an orator of the truth, not as an accomplished speaker as his accusers dub him. He does this to emphasize the fact that he is a simple man speaking the simple truth, not an eloquent speaker shrouding his words with other intentions. The challenge that Socrates gives to the jury ties into the point for which that the jury was assembled in the first place, to decipher the truth. "Â…Concentrate you attention on whether what I say is just or not, for the excellence in a judge lies in this" (Plato p.29, 18a), in this passage Socrates asks the jury to focus on the truth......
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Approximate Word Count: 2679
Approximate Pages: 11 (260 words per double-spaced page) |