Socrates The Apology

The Trial of Socrates

Names, Terms and Concepts
Aristophanes
Chaerephon
Socrates first accusers
Socrates second accusers
Meletus, Lycon and Anytus
Deductive logic and evaluation concepts
of validity and soundness
Dilemma reasoning
Aristophanes
( 448 380 B.C.)
Aristophanes was a Comic Poet
He wrote a play called the Clouds
The Clouds portrays Socrates as a
Sophist
Socrates mentions this is not a true
portrayal
There are significant differences between
Socrates and the Sophists
Sophists compared to Socrates
A Sophist is a teacher of rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking
A Sophist teaches for money
Protagoras ( a Sophist ) is often associated with the
theories of Relativism and Skepticism
In the Clouds, Socrates is portrayed as the head of think
shop
In the Clouds, he teaches students to be immoral and to
make the worst argument appear the better
Socrates denies these fictions of himself in his trial
Charges brought up against
Socrates
Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth and not
believing in the Gods of the state
Socrates explains that this is his first time in a court
of law and that at he speaks only the truth
Socrates explains the difficulty of his task
He has to defend himself against two different sets
of accusers
Socrates claims that Meletus and the others slander
him
Socrates maintains that he is innocent of the charges
Socrates is a victim of Slander
Socrates is accused of being an evil doer who
searches into things under the earth and in the
heavens
Socrates denies any interest in nature philosophy and
claims that he is only interested in Ethics which is a
service to the Gods
Socrates is also accused of being Sophist
Socrates denies being a Sophist
He claims not to be a teacher
He neither accepts fees from others as a teacher nor claims
to have any wisdom to sell
Socrates explains the origin of
his so called wisdom
Socrates explains the story that takes place at the
Oracle at Delphi
Chaerephon, a friend of Socrates, poses a question to
the priestess: is there anyone wiser than Socrates?
The priestess says that there is no one wiser than
Socrates
Socrates was baffled by this news and proceeded to
search for wise men to test the meaning of the
Oracle
History of the Oracle at Delphi
Socrates begins his mission
Socrates questions others in town that had a reputation for
wisdom such as politicians, artists and craftsmen
He finds that they are not really wise at all but only think they
are wise
Socrates explains that his inquiries has lead some of these
illustrious citizens to be irritated with him for challenging their
wisdom
This questioning, however, is his duty to the Gods
Socrates will not be silenced because his questioning is a service
to the Gods which he calls philosophy
Socrates likens himself to a Gadfly that stings people into action
This searching for a wise person is closely connected to the
question on how one should live which is Socrates primary
concern and what he holds to be the most important inquiry
Two kinds of Wisdom
According to Socrates, there are two kinds of Wisdom
Wisdom only the Gods possess
Wisdom that humans can attain
Human wisdom is of lesser value
Socrates explains that his questioning method called
Elenchus is imitated by young people
Socrates suggests this may be one the reasons he is
being brought up on charges
Another reason is that these questioning encounters
by Socrates and others has infuriated those who only
pretend to have wisdom
Socrates questions Meletus
Socrates tries to demonstrate that he does
not corrupt the youth
Socrates uses analogies to challenge Meletus
charge that he is a corrupter of the youth
Socrates uses his direct questioning method
combined with analogical examples to show
the implausibility of Meletus charges against
him
Socrates combines questioning
with Analogy reasoning
Socrates questions Meletus about the Laws
and the improvers of youth
Meletus claims that almost all Athenians
except Socrates are improvers of youth
Socrates suggests that it takes an expert to
train horses
Socrates is suggesting that Meletus claim
that he is a corrupter and almost everyone
else is an improver is implausible by analogy
Dilemma Reasoning and Logic
Part one
Socrates also uses dilemma reasoning to show that
Meletus is a liar
The first dilemma reasoning involves refuting
Meletus charge that Socrates corrupts the youth
Intentionally
Socrates flatly denies that this charge has any plausibility In
the Apology, Socrates uses dilemma reasoning
Dilemma reasoning is a valid form of argument used
in deductive logic
A valid argument is defined as
An argument is valid if it is impossible for the premises to
be true and the conclusion false
Dilemma Reasoning and Logic
Part Two
A Sound argument is defined as one that is
both valid and has all true premises
In Summary an argument is sound if it meets
two conditions
It is Valid
It has all true premises
To show that an argument is not a good one
is done by showing it to be invalid and/or
unsound
Constructive Dilemma Form
The constructive dilemma argument has the
following symbolic form
Premise one: Either P or Q
Premise two: If P, then R
Premise Three If Q, then S
Conclusion: Either R or S
P, Q, R, and S are called statement variables
Socrates answer to Meletus
charges of corruption
After Socrates dismisses the notion that he
would corrupt the youth unintentionally, he
then proceeds to argue that Meletus is a liar.
Socrates uses a dilemma argument.
By showing that Meletus is a liar, Socrates is
hoping that the jury will realize that Meletus
is bringing up false charges
Meletus pretense to knowledge has been
demonstrated and he is seeking revenge
against Socrates
First Dilemma Argument
Premise One: Either I do not corrupt the
youth or I corrupt the youth unintentionally
Premise Two: If I do not corrupt the youth,
then Meletus is a liar
Premise Three: If I corrupt the youth
unintentionally, then Meletus is a liar
Conclusion: Either Meletus is a liar or
Meletus is a liar
Meletus charge of not believing
in the States Gods is addressed
Socrates questions Meletus
Socrates: Can a person ever believe in the existence
of human beings and there not be any human
beings?
Meletus: No
Socrates : Did a man ever believe in horsemanship
and not in horses?
Meletus: No
Socrates: Can a man believe in spiritual things and
divine activities and not in divine beings?
Meletus : No
Socrates brings out the
contradiction
Socrates gets Meletus to agree that he must believe
in Gods.
Socrates then asks Meletus why he maintains a
contradiction
Meletus in essence has accused Socrates of both
believing in Gods and not believing in Gods
Socrates suggests that Meletus charges are mere
fabrications
Socrates concludes that Meletus is attempting to
confuse the jury and slander him with rumors that
are untrue from the past
Socrates explains his divine
mission
Socrates says that his questioning activity or
elenchus is just doing his service to the Gods
Socrates ( like Achilles ) before him never feared
death
Both he and Achilles do what is right without a fear o
Socrates says that a fear of death is an imitation of
wisdom not true wisdom
Socrates does make some claims to human wisdom
Injustice and disobedience is an evil
A good person cannot be injured
The unexamined live is not worth living
The jury finds Socrates guilty
The jury finds Socrates guilty and Meletus proposes
the death penalty
According to the Greek courts, Socrates can offer an
alternative sentence
Socrates first suggests that he should be put up with
meals ( maintenance in the Prytaneum ) like a
champion in the Olympic games
Socrates then offers one mina for his fine because he
is poor
Plato and other friends offer 30 minae
The jury votes again
After the plea bargaining phase of the trial,
another vote is taken in regards to the
alternative offer
Socrates is given the death penalty
Socrates responds to the penalty and makes
some reflections on death
Socrates says that there is good reason to
hope that death is a good
He offers a second dilemma argument
Socrates second dilemma
argument
Premise One : Either death is a nothingness and
utter unconsciousness or there is a change and
migration of the soul from this world to another
Premise two: If death is a nothingness and utter
unconsciousness, then we have reason to hope that
death is a good
Premise Three: If death is a change and migration of
the soul from this world to another, then we have
reason to hope that death is a good
Conclusion: Either we have reason to hope that
death is a good or we have a reason to hope that
death is a good
Classroom Discussion
Dilemma Argument
Get together in small groups of five or so and
create a real or imagined Dilemma
Put your dilemma into standard form and
Discuss whether you can refute the dilemma
by either grasping the dilemma by the horns
or by escaping between the horns
See presentation on working with Dilemmas
for additional help
Websites of Interest
Aristophanes works The Clouds is a satire
about Socrates mentioned in Apology
Overview of Aristophanes
The Oracle at Delphi and the role of the
Priestess
History of Oracle at Delphi
Commentary on the Apology
Socrates compared to Sophists