Question

4. The Apology

In this segment of the course students will read "The Apology" of Socrates as recorded by Plato.

The readings are on pages 330 - 344.

Now respond to the following prompt for Journal 3 write 600-800 words:

Socrates claims that he is wiser than the other citizens of Athens, even though he is ignorant. Why does he claim this? How does his 'human wisdom' relate to his God-given mission? Socrates also claims that what he is doing is highly beneficial to the citizens of Athens. Why does he believe this? Evaluate either his claim that he is wiser than the other citizens of Athens or that he greatly benefits the citizens of Athens by questioning them as he does.

Answer 1

By using the phrase “men of Athens” to address the jury, he also subtly reminds the jurors that they are representatives of the city’s inhabitants, thereby underlining their responsibility to uphold the interests of the city and its commitment to democracy. In turn, he underhandedly discourages them from siding with his accusers for biased reasons that aren’t based on what happens in the trial. On another note, it’s worth noting that Socrates takes issue with the idea that he’s an “accomplished speaker,” a small detail that helps him establish his commitment not to rhetoric and persuasion, but to the unadorned truth.

Since he is a free-thinking philosopher who—by virtue of his “occupation”—studies the ways in which people think, it’s unsurprising that the jurors would think he engages in activities that are “other than [how] most people” behave. By highlighting this dynamic, he demonstrates just how hesitant these men are to critically examine their own beliefs. The Ancient Greeks believed that the god Apollo spoke directly through a priestess (the “Pythian”) who lived in Delphi, which they upheld was the center of the world. Socrates references the Delphic oracle because, as he states in this moment, the Pythian has asserted that there is no one wiser than him. This is important, as it contextualizes Socrates’ previous claim that he possesses “human wisdom,” which has gained him a certain reputation that his accusers are now using against him. By insisting that the Delphic oracle believes in his wisdom, Socrates ultimately casts himself as a pious man rather than someone who doesn’t believe in the gods.

When Socrates tests the Delphic oracle’s message, he learns that the only truly valuable kind of “human wisdom” has to do with a person’s willingness to acknowledge and accept his or her own ignorance. Indeed, the only reason Socrates is any wiser than his contemporaries is that he understands that he isn’t wise at all. In turn, he sets forth a model of wisdom that depends upon humility—something the politician to whom he speaks apparently lacks.