Trial Of Socrates In Plato's Apology
An Account of the Trial of Socrates as out-lined in Plato’s Apology
Dublin Institute of Technology
Students’ name: Lilian Muraro (D14125029)
Access Foundation Programme
An essay submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the module of Introduction to Humanities
Lecturer: Will Peters
15 December 2014
Account of the Trial of Socrates as outlined in Plato’s Apology
This essay is analysis of the accusations against Socrates during his trial, based mainly on Plato’s interpretation of it in his work The Apology (Jowett, 1871). As a contrast, the work of Dr. Kypros Tofallis (1978) will also be analysed. Dr Tofallis, claims that the reason behind Socrates’ trial was purely political, whereas Plato in the Apology looks …show more content…
3- An impious act, practice, etc.
This accusation is based on the fact that he would look for physical explanation for heavenly and earthly phenomena rather than divine ones.
Meletus claimed that Socrates did not recognise the gods of the state and yet creat-ed his own gods, therefore, accused him of being impious and an atheist.
These were the charges against Socrates according to “The Apology”, a record of Socrates’ defence, written by Plato in 360BCE. However, in his book “Socrates man and philosopher”, an introduction to Socrates’ life and work, Dr. Kypros Tofallis (1978), claims that in fact the accusations against Socrates were purely political.
Athens had just been defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, and according to Dr Tofallis (1978) in his book; part of the blame went on Socrates, as he was a faithful ally of the Oligarchs. Plato, who was Socrates’ closest friend, came from an aristocratic family with political connections, Critias, a cruel tyrant, was also a friend of Socrates and probably the fact that gave his enemies sufficient motives to believe he was an antidemocrat, was that he was the teacher of Alcibiades, who betrayed the Athenians at the Sicilian
Dublin Institute of Technology
Students’ name: Lilian Muraro (D14125029)
Access Foundation Programme
An essay submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the module of Introduction to Humanities
Lecturer: Will Peters
15 December 2014
Account of the Trial of Socrates as outlined in Plato’s Apology
This essay is analysis of the accusations against Socrates during his trial, based mainly on Plato’s interpretation of it in his work The Apology (Jowett, 1871). As a contrast, the work of Dr. Kypros Tofallis (1978) will also be analysed. Dr Tofallis, claims that the reason behind Socrates’ trial was purely political, whereas Plato in the Apology looks …show more content…
3- An impious act, practice, etc.
This accusation is based on the fact that he would look for physical explanation for heavenly and earthly phenomena rather than divine ones.
Meletus claimed that Socrates did not recognise the gods of the state and yet creat-ed his own gods, therefore, accused him of being impious and an atheist.
These were the charges against Socrates according to “The Apology”, a record of Socrates’ defence, written by Plato in 360BCE. However, in his book “Socrates man and philosopher”, an introduction to Socrates’ life and work, Dr. Kypros Tofallis (1978), claims that in fact the accusations against Socrates were purely political.
Athens had just been defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, and according to Dr Tofallis (1978) in his book; part of the blame went on Socrates, as he was a faithful ally of the Oligarchs. Plato, who was Socrates’ closest friend, came from an aristocratic family with political connections, Critias, a cruel tyrant, was also a friend of Socrates and probably the fact that gave his enemies sufficient motives to believe he was an antidemocrat, was that he was the teacher of Alcibiades, who betrayed the Athenians at the Sicilian