Plato’s Apology: The Trial of Socrates Socrates in the trial – speaking plainly, daily converse. He is a speaker of the truth, not an accomplished speaker. Socrates’ accusers: 1. Meletus 2. Anytus 3. Lycon Why does he fear the early accusers more than the recent ones? They’re anonymous, they are shadows, rumours brainwashed children of that period are now jurors who will decide his fate, they’re nameless, cannot bring evidence forward. They corrupted mind of jurors. • Children grew hearing that Socrates is a trouble maker, their minds have been infected since they could not ask any acquisitions. • They accepted this truth and now deciding his fate with prejudice against him they developed when they were kids. He cannot do anything about the prejudices. • You cannot argue with phantom, ghosts, cannot address them in a straightforward manner. He fears them the most, they are formidable, because he exposes them for having a reputation of wisdom while they know little, he broke their façade, exposed their flaws hence they may go to any lengths to take vengeance. He exposed people’s ignorance = made himself a lot of enemies. They accused him of being a Sophist, bad reputation during his time, teaching people weak arguments, weak ideas for money. Socrates was not a sophist. This is what the early accusers made them believe. Sophists were doubtful of God. The 500 jurors never got to hear Socrates speak, they’re just brainwashed. Socrates’ Attitude during the trial: • Kind of saying take it easy on me, old man in court for the first time. “I’m a stranger to the court room, treat me kindly” • Tries to appeal to their humanness, the jurors. The story of the oracle (Delphi) – temple of Apollo Oracle is like a messenger, knowledge she has is provided by the gods. The wisdom was unnatural. One of Socrates followers asked the Oracle who is the wisest, is there wiser than Socrates? The God answered no. Socrates was in disbelief, he knew he was unwise. So he questioned people and learns that people have a reputation to be wise, yet they know nothing and pretend to know. They continue this charade of wisdom because they’re reputation is built on it. He questioned craftsmen, politicians, poets In the sight of god: wisdom means nothing, like Socrates, we should not pretend more than we are. True wisdom = not knowing. “Socrates, the gadfly of Athen” He was proud of the fact that he was like a fly, an irritant. Gadfly = horse fly. He believes this type of insect is necessary. He compares himself to the gadfly and the horse that the gadfly bites is Athens. Gods put Socrates as a gadfly to wake Athens up. Rousing, reproaching, scolding is a good thing. People do not want to be questioned, be shammed, have their knowledge punctured. He compares this to as though the person who wakes you up, you’d naturally be mad. Philosophy is dangerous but necessary. Living well is more important than living. Die well is better than to live. W3 C2 – Plato’s Apology A.

1. Plato’s Apology: The Trial of Socrates
Socrates in the trial – speaking plainly, daily converse. He is a
speaker of the truth, not an accomplished speaker.
Socrates’ accusers:
1. Meletus
2. Anytus
3. Lycon
Why does he fear the early accusers more than the recent ones?
They’re anonymous, they are shadows, rumours brainwashed
children of that period are now jurors who will decide his fate,
they’re nameless, cannot bring evidence forward. They
corrupted mind of jurors.
• Children grew hearing that Socrates is a trouble maker, their
minds have been infected since they could not ask any
acquisitions.
• They accepted this truth and now deciding his fate with
prejudice against him they developed when they were kids. He
cannot do anything about the prejudices.
• You cannot argue with phantom, ghosts, cannot address them
in a straightforward manner.
He fears them the most, they are formidable, because he exposes
them for having a reputation of wisdom while they know little,
he broke their façade, exposed their flaws hence they may go to
any lengths to take vengeance. He exposed people’s ignorance =
made himself a lot of enemies.
They accused him of being a Sophist, bad reputation during his
time, teaching people weak arguments, weak ideas for money.
Socrates was not a sophist. This is what the early accusers made

2. them believe. Sophists were doubtful of God. The 500 jurors
never got to hear Socrates speak, they’re just brainwashed.
Socrates’ Attitude during the trial:
• Kind of saying take it easy on me, old man in court for the
first time. “I’m a stranger to the court room, treat me kindly”
• Tries to appeal to their humanness, the jurors.
The story of the oracle (Delphi) – temple of Apollo
Oracle is like a messenger, knowledge she has is provided by
the gods. The wisdom was unnatural. One of Socrates followers
asked the Oracle who is the wisest, is there wiser than Socrates?
The God answered no. Socrates was in disbelief, he knew he
was unwise.
So he questioned people and learns that people have a
reputation to be wise, yet they know nothing and pretend to
know. They continue this charade of wisdom because they’re
reputation is built on it. He questioned craftsmen, politicians,
poets
In the sight of god: wisdom means nothing, like Socrates, we
should not pretend more than we are. True wisdom = not
knowing.
“Socrates, the gadfly of Athen”
He was proud of the fact that he was like a fly, an irritant.
Gadfly = horse fly. He believes this type of insect is necessary.
He compares himself to the gadfly and the horse that the gadfly
bites is Athens. Gods put Socrates as a gadfly to wake Athens
up. Rousing, reproaching, scolding is a good thing. People do
not want to be questioned, be shammed, have their knowledge
punctured. He compares this to as though the person who wakes
you up, you’d naturally be mad.

3. Philosophy is dangerous but necessary. Living well is more
important than living. Die well is better than to live.
W3 C2 – Plato’s Apology
Accusation: He made weak arguments sound strong, he hasn’t
done anything productive, seen as a troublemaker.
P.4 Socrates debate with Meletus
Accused of corrupting the youth and impiety (Does not believe
in gods, and gods of the state) – Gods gave politicians their
authority. To question the gods of the state is to question the
state = treason.
• How can he be both accused of not believing in gods but also
creating his own gods?
Death seems to be the best option as a punishment and Socrates
seems to support that.
P.8 Socrates, the gadfly
AKA the gadfly is Socrates and the horse it bites is Athens.
• He believes he has been sent by the gods to bite and be an
irritant because their success made people complacent, not
asking how to live and how to be a good person, they’re sleepily
going through their lives.
P.13 Death
Socrates condemned to death and Socrates is in favour.
• End – end to life.
• Beginning – a change, a different type of experience. The true
just fair judges who we will meet in the afterlife who are worth
something, we should be looking forward to that. He’d be
willing to die many times to just have this kind of afterlife. If
he gets another life, he could be a philosopher again, he’s
willing to die.

4. P.14 Socrates final public comment
Not just directed at his sons but to everyone.
• Socrates believes and reminds people that a good man cannot
be harmed, those who harm him are not harming him but
harming themselves. He believes this is his fate. He blames his
accusers for wishing him harm.
He says by killing him, he is not harmed, you harm yourself
more. A good man can never be harmed. Killing a man unjustly
does more harm to the community. He thinks he is God’s gift,
this irritated people, he seemed big headed. He thinks he’s very
special “you wont find another like me”.
Virtue is what should matter for everyone.
At the end he asks everyone to question and harass his sons, if
they care more for money than virtue and if they think much of
themselves – scold them. Remind them that they are nothing.
His very last words is that he believes in the gods.
PHIL201 – Spring Semester 2020
Writing #1 (10%) – Guidelines
Due date of assignment (for UTR): Thursday, February 20, by
11:59pm via Turnitin.com only
Choose ONE of the following texts or pairs of texts:
1. Bertrand Russell, The Value of Philosophy
2. Plato, the Apology
3. Plato, the Crito

5. 4. St. Anselm, ‘Ontological Argument’ and St. Thomas Aquinas,
‘The Five Ways’ text (2 texts)
Then discuss, in the form of a ‘loose essay’ (*), the following:
1. Of the texts we have looked at so far, which one had the most
significant impact on your
thinking/outlook and why? (INTRO paragraph)
2. Discuss the portions of the text/s, which you feel were most
thought provoking, and then explain what
these portions of the text ‘mean to you’, in your own words.
3. Lastly, what is the biggest ‘lesson’ you have learned from
this/these text/s, and how does this lesson
relate to your life right now? (Please be specific and be sure to
speak about your life and your
thoughts!)
*Writing structure: a ‘loose essay’, which means:
• Please write an INTRODUCTION which answers question #1
above
• Then respond to the remaining questions using at least one
BODY paragraph (it’s your choice how
many body paragraphs you include)
Points given for:
• Answering all of the questions given above, while
demonstrating a close reading of the text,
engagement with ideas discussed during class time,
independence of thought and an ability to relate

6. the texts to your life (everyday life).
• Use of proper grammar, spelling, and syntax throughout your
writing (also, proper citation of any quotes
used in your writing from the main text itself, if you choose to
quote anything directly; you don’t have to
quote anything directly, though – careful/detailed paraphrasing
is fine – but if you quote, be clear you
are quoting and cite your source/s properly, using MLA, APA or
other formal citation style)
Expectations:
• As this is quite a personal paper, you may of course write in
the ‘first-person’ and use personal pronouns
such as ‘I, me, and mine’. In fact, to answer the set questions
that are quite personal, it would be nearly
impossible to write without using such personal terms!
• Again, this is more of a ‘personal’ paper and NOT a research
paper. I do not want to see any ‘outside’
research reflected in the writing of your paper. The most
important preparation will be READING the
texts concerned, reviewing your class notes, and thinking for
yourself about what you have
read/discussed. This personal reflection and close reading is
what is being graded; including research
from outside the text will not be meaningful for this assessment.
• Word length expected: certainly, no less than 2 pages and no
more than 3 pages (approx. 800-1200
words)
• Use standard fonts/sizes (11 or 12 pt) and normal margins; no
double-spacing (single or 1.5 spacing only)

7. • When submitting on Turnitin, just make sure your name and
class name/section are on page 1; NO title
page is needed.
• Turnitin login details will be shared with you soon via
Blackboard! Make sure your account is
active/ready for submission.