The text “Plato’s Apology” written by Plato, serves as a record of Socrates’s defense to the Athenian court. Within this dialogue Socrates provides insight into how he goes about doing philosophy, in which way he believes that he is wise, and also uses the elenchus to counter the two charges that are brought against him.
Plato’s apology details how Socrates goes about philosophy. Socrates when told by his friend Chaerephron that the Delphic Oracle that Socrates is the wisest man refuses the idea at first, then he questions what this means and sets out to understand it or disprove it. Socrates decides that he will investigate this claim by examining other men, in order to find a man that is wiser. He asked several different types of men and concluded that …show more content…
This is exemplified when he refutes the charges against him, for example when Meletus argues that he deliberately corrupts the youth of Athens he responds with, “wicked people always do some harm to their closest neighbors while good people do them good, […] if I make one of my associates wicked I run the risk of being harmed by him,” (25d). This rebuttal is arguing that Socrates, because he does not want to be harmed, he would not deliberately corrupt the youth because if he did then surely that wicked associate would bring harm to him. In addition, philosophy to him was a living art, showing how someone should live their life and this is reflected both in his thinking process, also in his death. The action of arguing logically and truthfully without begging, crying, or attempting to receive pity for his children when faced with the penalty of death, is similar to the way he thought only with logic and only spoke truthfully even if the conclusion was unfavorable or if the process put him into trouble. In conclusion Socrates goes about philosophy with a methodical process, using logic and
Plato’s apology details how Socrates goes about philosophy. Socrates when told by his friend Chaerephron that the Delphic Oracle that Socrates is the wisest man refuses the idea at first, then he questions what this means and sets out to understand it or disprove it. Socrates decides that he will investigate this claim by examining other men, in order to find a man that is wiser. He asked several different types of men and concluded that …show more content…
This is exemplified when he refutes the charges against him, for example when Meletus argues that he deliberately corrupts the youth of Athens he responds with, “wicked people always do some harm to their closest neighbors while good people do them good, […] if I make one of my associates wicked I run the risk of being harmed by him,” (25d). This rebuttal is arguing that Socrates, because he does not want to be harmed, he would not deliberately corrupt the youth because if he did then surely that wicked associate would bring harm to him. In addition, philosophy to him was a living art, showing how someone should live their life and this is reflected both in his thinking process, also in his death. The action of arguing logically and truthfully without begging, crying, or attempting to receive pity for his children when faced with the penalty of death, is similar to the way he thought only with logic and only spoke truthfully even if the conclusion was unfavorable or if the process put him into trouble. In conclusion Socrates goes about philosophy with a methodical process, using logic and