Plato’s Apology of Socrates Coursework

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Outline for Plato’s Apology of Socrates

First section: “Prologue” – from paragraph 17a to paragraph 19a

Socrates explains who he is and mentions that the accusations against him have provoked him to make this explanation. He says that he is giving his defense speech at an old age. He also describes his accusers in a satirical way and remarks that no one knows their names because they have always spread their false claims without any proof and therefore did not want their names to be identified.

Second section: “Defense against old recriminations” – from paragraph 19b to paragraph 24a

The earliest charges against Socrates resulted from people’s prejudices that he was a sophist (he made the weaker argument look stronger) and a physicalist (he investigated things in the skies and beneath the earth). He mentions the words of an oracle from Delphi who said that Socrates was the wisest man of all.

Third section: “The accusations made by Meletus and Anytus” – from paragraph 24b to paragraph 28a

The specific accusations made by these two men are that Socrates is guilty of irreverence and the corruption of youth. In his defense, Socrates says that he would never corrupt youth voluntarily, and if he did so involuntarily, he does not deserve punishment. As far as impiety is concerned, Socrates says that since he believes in a divine thing, he also believes in divinity.

Fourth section: “Answering the accusations” – from paragraph 28b to paragraph 34b

Socrates provides his own explanation for his art. He says that he is not a sophist or physicalist, he is not irreverent, and he does not corrupt the youth. In fact, he goes around the city and shares his wisdom with the people in order to prevent them from being ignorant.

Fifth section: “The sentence, the alternative punishment, and final pleas” – from paragraph 34c to paragraph 42a

Socrates mentions that he is quite old, and he would have died soon anyway. However, when he is accused and is allowed to suggest an alternative punishment, he says that since he has been offering help to the city through his wisdom, he deserves to be fed for free for the rest of his life. In the end, he says that only God knows what life is better: the present one or the one after death.

Work Cited

West, Thomas G. Plato’s Apology of Socrates: An Interpretation, with a New Translation. Cornell University Press, 1979.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, December 24). Plato's Apology of Socrates. https://ivypanda.com/essays/platos-apology-of-socrates/

Work Cited

"Plato's Apology of Socrates." IvyPanda, 24 Dec. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/platos-apology-of-socrates/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Plato's Apology of Socrates'. 24 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Plato's Apology of Socrates." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/platos-apology-of-socrates/.

1. IvyPanda. "Plato's Apology of Socrates." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/platos-apology-of-socrates/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Plato's Apology of Socrates." December 24, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/platos-apology-of-socrates/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1