Socrates' Apology for Philosophy
The apology begins with what appears to be Socrates' opening remarks to defend himself against the charges of impiety and corrupting the youth before his fellow Athenians in an Athenian court. To defend himself against these charges he feels that he first has to defend himself against his earlier accusers who have slandered him. He characterizes his earlier accusers as gentlemen, who have for many years filled the jurors' minds from childhood on, with false accusations saying:
There is a wise man called Socrates, a student of all things in the sky and below the earth, who makes the worse argument the stronger (18b).
He sees these earlier accusers as dangerous, not only because of their sheer number, but also because of their anonymity and the fact that they have been spreading their lies for many years causing their hearers to think that those who study these things (wise men) are atheists. Socrates' later accusers consists of......
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Approximate Word Count: 1801
Approximate Pages: 7 (260 words per double-spaced page) |