Socrates's Apology Analysis

In the Apology, Socrates is brought forth in the court of law under multiple accusations, both past and present. Socrates has been given the chance to answer a series of questions to clarify the choices of his blunt actions and statements. This paper will examine the reasons Socrates gives to support the Oracle of Delphi’s view of him being the wisest of all. Socrates provides multiple reasons to support the oracle’s statement; this includes his first examination with the politician and how he thought himself to be more than who he actually was (Socrates, P. 2). His second examination with the poets, how they say many intellectual things, but do not understand the meaning or reasoning behind their writings (Socrates, P. 2). His final examination …show more content…
After examining multiple individuals, Socrates came to the conclusion that those who are socially known to be “wise” are the total opposite, he states, “and so I go my way, obedient to the god, and make inquisition into the wisdom of anyone, whether citizen or stranger, who appears to be wise; and if he is not wise, then in the indication of the oracle I show him that he is not wise” (Socrates, P. 3). Once coming in interaction with the ones who are known to be aware, he claims “There are plenty of persons, as they soon enough discover, who think that they know something, but really know little or nothing” (Socrates, P. …show more content…
He supports this first by examining the politician and coming to the conclusion that, “I am better off than he is - for he knows nothing and thinks that he knows. I neither know nor think that I know. In this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him” (Socrates, P. 2). Furthermore, he believed the poets to be extremely knowledgeable and wise, but after interacting and having a conversation with them about their writings, Socrates concluded with “I must say that there is hardly a person present who would not have talked better about their poetry than they did themselves. That showed me in an instant that not by wisdom do poets write poetry, but by sort of genius and inspiration; they are like diviners or soothsayers who also say many fine things, but do not understand the meaning of them” (Socrates, P. 2). The Artisans fall in the same classification as the others, Socrates went with an open mindset and states, “I was sure they knew many fine things; and in this I was not mistaken, for they did know many fine things of which I was ignorant, and in this they certainly were wiser than I was. But I observed that even the good artisans fell in the same error as the poets; because they were good workmen they thought they also knew all sorts of high matters, but that overshadowed their wisdom”