Double Jeopardy

“Be sure that if you kill the sort of man I say I am, you will not harm me more than yourselves.”

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“On the other hand, if I say that it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day, testing themselves and others — for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less.”

Socrates, of The Apology is an eloquent figure who is an unrivaled guide to the good life – the thoughtful life, and he is as relevant today as he was in ancient At

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“Socrates is guilty of busying himself with research into what’s beneath the earth and in the heaven and making the weaker argument the stronger and teaching the same things to others”

So Socrates is guilty of expanding his mind and teaching his discoveries to his students. Such a terrible man isn’t he, to try to learn more about the world and the existence of mankind? Is this cause of execution, free thinking and questioning the doctrines fed to us? Plato himself was next to be accused; thus

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This is perhaps the most iconic of Plato’s works, the closest thing that philosophy has to a Sermon on the Mount. And just as with our Biblical narratives, the dialogue presents a historical difficulty. To what extent is this speech fact, and to what extent invention? The only other record we have of the trial is from Xenophon, who wasn’t even there. Plato was there—or at least he asserts that he was—and yet it beggars belief that the young, would-be amanuensis could retain the entire speech in ...more

This little ‘book’, a mere conversation actually, is the source of so many excellent quotes as to be indispensable to our Western heritage. I was reading a few to my dear husband the other night and he wanted me to send them to him. Sadly, we—as a society—want to expunge this type of literature from our children’s education because it was written by ‘dead white men’.

Oh foolish people! But then, that is also what Socrates died for—men’s fear of the Truth. It was the same back in Athens when he di

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This is one of the best works of philosophy or literature ever written. It is Plato's version of Socrates's defense at his trial. The word "apology" here means defense. Socrates is on trial for his life for blasphemy and for corrupting the youth of Athens. He very easily leads his primary accuser, Meletus, into contradictions. And he tries to explain to the jury and to the spectators how it is that he gained a reputation as a wise man among some, and a villain among others. One of Socrates's adm ...more

I always wonder about the skills of these highly intellectual, talented people of Ancient times. It's a delight to read Socrates' legal defence and you can feel his charisma through the words. Such a shame that there are only few (if at all) who can compete on his level of logic, ethos and pathos. And it's such a shame never to be able to witness a "performance" of his speech since the performance itself with its gesture and voice also has a huge impact on the audience. ...more

“Well, gentlemen, for the sake of a very small gain in time you are going to earn the reputation – and the blame from those who wish to disparage our city – of having put Socrates to death.”

It is quite normal, I think, to read the Apology and feel as though Socrates has blundered horribly in judgment – he has said the very things that will drive him to the grave. After hearing of the declaration of the Oracle of Delphi that there is no one wiser than him, he has taken it upon himself to ensure t ...more

After four years, I finally managed to reread this thing, and I'm glad that I did. It really goes to show that not all of my remaining brain cells have died during this lockdown, especially after having exclusively read old YA trilogies and Batman comics. (Yep, I'm living my best life currently.)

Anyways, Socrates' Defence (or: The Apology of Socrates as it is more commonly known) was written by Plato and is a Socratic dialogue of the speech of legal self-defence which Socrates spoke at his tria

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Reviewing this alone as well as I work my way through Plato's first "tetralogy" (Euthyphro, Apology (Socrates' Defence), Crito, Phaedo). Though the thoughts in Euthyphro are interesting it is ultimately unsatisfying as a dialogue. Apology, as it is titled in my Tredennick and Tarrant translation, is far more satisifying to read, but with only a single speaker: Socrates. He fails in the attempt to defend himself against charges set against him. I'll write more about it in my final review of the w ...more

Plato and I are not buddies. I find him interesting, but also think of him as a lunatic grandpa with unrealistic views of the world. Therefore, he is not my favourite old Greek man to read, but this is his best. This is Socrates “apology” for what he did. Basically, Socrates invented philosophy, and then he was killed for it. I mean, they did not just kill him like they did Hypathia, he had a “proper trial” and all. Please, read the entire work instead of the short snippet, reading it in full ha ...more

I read the APOLOGY this week in THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF SOCRATES: FOUR DIALOGUES published by Dover. The translator is Benjamin Jowett.

APOLOGY is Plato's re-creation of Socrates' summation in his own defense against the indictment that he corrupted the youth of Athens with blasphemous philosophical teachings. It is fascinating as much for the defiant and mocking tone that Socrates adopts -- certainly knowing that it would seal his fate -- as it is for its demonstration of rhetorical logic. In st

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In defense of philosophy
1 September 2012

These days when we think of the word apology we usually connect it with us saying sorry for something that we have done wrong, however that is not necessarily the origin of the word. Christianity has a field of study known as apologetics, and once again, this is not necessarily saying sorry for the many evils deeds that have been committed under the name of Christianity but rather putting up a defense against attacks that are generally levelled against th

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Not even your Socratic arguing could save you. Such a pity that we still haven't changed, not in all of these thousands of years. Even though he knew he was doomed, he still did not submit and whimper like a coward, begging for mercy. When you are outside the grasp of power, no matter how well you try to persuade those to look into the right direction, if they, for their own gains are against it, you're screwed.

I don't know if I could do the same, be presented with life (even thought I'd be nea

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I ended up having a conversation about this with a student today. Having read it the first time 40ish years ago it never made it to my GR. I have a copy of this on my shelf, and poke in and out of it on occasion still. Sometimes I need to read the words of a man who would rather die than forsake the pursuit of knowledge. It makes me believe in the possibility of a better future on the hard days. Anyway... after I argued with this student who did not believe that dispassionately acknowledging you ...more

3 stars

dude this socrates guy was spitting bars lowkey. like if i was being sentenced to death i would be crying and shit

This is Plato’s account of his mentor, Socrates, as he met his accusers in Athenian court to defend himself against charges of blasphemy and corrupting the young.

Socrates makes short work of the weak arguments made by his chief accuser, Meletus, through logical deconstruction. What’s interesting is that the defence isn’t really of Socrates against his charges but of his life and philosophy, which is basically what the trial is really about.

His latest troubles began when the Oracle at Delphi ann

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#SocratesIsOverParty

Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους: Socrates's Apology.

This is Plato's version of Socrates's speech in 399 BCE in defence of himself against the charges of corrupting the youth of Athens and "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia [δαιμόνῐᾰ]." The word apology (ἀπολογία) has its earlier meaning of a defence of beliefs or actions, a definition now typically associated with the word apologia. Plato was not the only student or follower of Socrates to writ

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Perhaps the most famous of the Socratic dialogues, the Apology (in the sense of apologia or defense before a tribunal) presents Socrates (469-399 BCE) as he defends himself against charges that he corrupted the youth of Athens and did not honor the proper gods. It is probably not a spoiler to say that Socrates was convicted and condemned to death. Subsequently, many of Socrates' pupils wrote their versions of the events and of the words spoken, though most have been lost. The Apology is a ...more

"If you think killing people will stop anyone reproaching you for not living corrrectly, you are not thinking straight."
- Socrates, as writing by Plato in 'Socrates Defense'

Vol N° 52 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains Socrates Defense and is essentially Christopher Rowe's translation of Plato's Apology, which when taken with Euthyphro, Crito, and Phaedo make up The Trial and Death of Socrates.

I've read a different translation of this before (a couple times), but

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“For to fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For no one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to man.”

Apology is Plato's version of the speech delivered by Socrates as he defended himself in the court against the charges of corrupting the young and blasphemy.
It is amusing to read how Socrates tears down his accusers and the charges made against him by using logic and r

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'Do not be upset when I tell you the truth! No human can start an honest fight with you or any other public assembly, nobody can try to stop chrimes and unlawful doings without failing and going under. No, if anyone really should stride for what is right and keep life going for atleast a short period of time, then he must do it as himself , and not as a public speaker.' – Sokrates

(Quote translated personally from Swedish vers.)

This is Platos notes from what Sokrates was saying when he defend

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Beautiful, just beautiful. You can hear every word Socrates makes so much so that this should be classed as a readable audio book for the way the words inspire and fire the mind.

MORE Socrates and Plato if you will... Bravo, more,more (sound of audiance applause)

It's been a while since I read this. In fact, I wonder if I really ever did read it. Nonetheless, what struck me in this reading were parallels to the New Testament. Both Jesus and Socrates probed by asking questions, both ruffled the establish, both exposed dearly held pretentiousness, both were condemned by their countrymen.

Even certain phrases in Apology are reflected in the NT (though it could be an accident of translation): "to die is gain", "I shall obey God rather than you", "[do not] tak

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The Defense of Socrates consist with three sections. At the first section he defenses himself against to accusation of temptation to children and other offenses, he is too decisive in this section. In the second part he is comments his offense and at the third part he is sending direct message to the judges. It is so interesting.

Socrates: I’m innocent and here’s why

Athenians: y’all hear something...........?

Such an unfortunate chance - the first book of Socrate I read is actually the one including his latest sayings. The pleading is moving and it shows in multiple instances the unfairness of Athenians towards the philosopher and perhaps the inaccuracy of the jury trials in that era.

Put on trial for asking too many questions and pointing out when people didn’t know what they thought they knew; the ‘wisest man’ Socrates makes his defence in front of the Athenian assembly.

He had every choice to stop speaking the truth, to accept exile and thereby escape the death penalty; but instead he decided to speak the truth, and with the knowledge he didn’t know whether the outcome would be good or bad - knowing only that his inner voice told him it was the right thing to do - he drunk

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Probably the best of the 80 so far. Socrates was a wonderful man who knew what was what. It's a sad thing that the world hasn't changed since 360 BCE when he made this speech before he was *SPOILER ALERT* put to death for corrupting the youth with his truth

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