Socrates on TrialClarendon Press, 1989 - 337 pages Thomas Brickhouse and Nicholas Smith offer a comprehensive historical and philosophical interpretation of, and commentary on, one of Plato's most widely read works, the Apology of Socrates. Virtually every modern interpretation characterizes some part of what Socrates says in the Apology as purposefully irrelevant or even antithetical to convincing the jury to acquit him at his trial. This book, by contrast, argues persuasively that Socrates offers a sincere and well-reasoned defense against the charges he faces. First, the authors establish a consensus of ancient reports about Socrates' moral and religious principles and show that these prohibit him from needlessly risking the condemnation of the jury. Second, they consider each specific claim made by Socrates in the Apology and show how each can be construed as an honest effort to inform the jurors of the truth and to convince them of his blamelessness. The arguments of this book are informed by a critical review of the scholarly literature and careful attention to the philosophy expressed in Plato's other early dialogues. |
From inside the book
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... prosecution , but the evidence is insufficient for anything but speculation on this issue.93 Our understanding of the trial would be much improved if we could determine the motives of each of the prosecutors , and whether or not their ...
... prosecutors , even if only by insinuation or through slanderous asides — indeed , even if their identities were so obvious to those present at the trial that they did not need attention called to them - Socrates and his jurors would ...
... prosecutors as inept and unprincipled.2 Other readers see the interrogation as showing that neither Socrates nor Meletus takes the formal charges as the real motive for the pro- secution . To Meletus and his collaborators , the formal ...
Contents
Apology | 1 |
Socrates Defense Part I 17al24b2 | 48 |
Socrates Defense Part II 24b330c1 | 99 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown