Spring 2009 201 Sample Student Work

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Journal 1

In Plato’s Apology, two different sets of accusations are brought against Socrates. The fist of these two was the informal charges. Socrates had been a longtime enemy of many of the aristocracy in Athens, so many of them claimed Socrates to be a Sophist. Sophists were known for being paid teachers and masters of rhetoric (qualities not looked upon fondly by Athenians). A man named Meletus headed the new formal charges brought against Socrates up. Meletus and the other Athenian aristocracy claimed that Socrates was corrupting the youth and a believer in gods not supported by the state. In fact they claimed Socrates to be an atheist at one point. The defense Socrates uses is actually quite simple. With regards to the old accusations, Socrates makes the point that he cannot be a teacher because he does not know anything, and the boys that listen to him speak only do so out of entertainment. Socrates also points out that masters of rhetoric are excellent orators, and in his first few lines he states that he is not a skilled orator at all. When the matter of dealing with the second set of charges, Socrates approaches the religious charge first. He speaks about what he believes is a mission given to him directly by the god Apollo through the oracle of Delphi. He is in fact trying to understand why the oracle of Delphi has claimed that no other man is wiser than Socrates. In the end Socrates discovers that it is his knowledge that he does not know everything that makes him the wisest of them all. By sharing this story with the jury, Socrates states that there is no way he can be an atheist when his whole life mission is based upon his belief in the Athenian gods. When Socrates deals with the accusation that he is corrupting the youth, he simply states that he is not a teacher, and if in fact he has corrupted them, how come they themselves have not come forward as witnesses or if not them, a relative. In my opinion, Socrates’ defense was very well played. He used just enough to get his point across, while burying things he could not really answer. I do however, think that his emotions took the best of him. He did not have to die, but his poor behavior after hearing the verdict pretty much put the nail in the coffin. Socrates was a great man that clearly swayed numerous of the Athenian aristocracy in his defense. Unfortunately too much bad blood was just enough to produce a guilty verdict.