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Socrates’ trial Plato, The Apology Socrates and Plato 469-399 BCE 427-327 BCE Socrates trial 501 dikasts The Apology: Background Athenian Democracy Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE) Rule of Thirty Tyrants (8 months in 404-403 BCE) and Socrates’ friendship with Critias, one of the leaders of the Thirty Friendship with Alcibiades (Defeat at Syracuse, Sicily) The Sophists – Aristophanes’ The Clouds Socrates’ anti democratic views Delphic oracle and the creation of powerful enemies within Athens Religious oddity: His own personal daemon The Apology: Philosophers vs. Sophists Sophists Elegant rhetoric Persuasive Clever Disdain for Truth Philosophy Aimed at Truth Question and Answer Plain Earnest Informal Charges “There’s a man called Socrates, a ‘wise’ man, a thinker about things in the heavens, an investigator of all things below the earth, and someone who makes the weaker argument the stronger. (18 b-c). Longevity No defense No named accusers – except perhaps for Aristophanes Defense of Informal Charges Personal Daemon (conscience or intuition who must be obeyed above all else) Different interest than the Pre-Socratics No interest in the make-up of the external world: the inward turn Not a sophist: is not paid for his ‘teaching’ Chaerephon and the Delphic Oracle The conceit of wisdom (Hubris) Recognizing the limits of one’s knowledge Formal Charges Meletus (poets), Anytus (artisans and politicians), and Lycon (orators). Anytus was a democratic leader who helped restore democracy to Athens after the Thirty were expelled. Probably the real leader of the three. “Socrates is guilty of corrupting the young, and of not acknowledging the gods the city acknowledges, but new daimonic activities instead” (24 b). Corruption of the young: discussion with Meletus Who improves the young and who harms them? All Athenians improve them except Socrates who harms them Analogy to horse training: The few improve, the many harm We would choose to live among good people better t