Thoughts and reflections on The Apology of Socrates

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                               February 18, 2014

Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Apology of Socrates"

By Plato

Socrates is one of the most intelligent philosophers in history, but although he was very intelligent he may not have been so wise. Wisdom is more than just smarts it's also how you act and angering so many powerful people with his arrogance and by basically questioning them and then telling them they were not wise was not a very wise decision on Socrates part. Additionally Socrates believed that the gods possessed the wisdom not humans so he could not truly be considered wise by his standards. Although Socrates may have been a little skeptical about Gods and their power the reason for the start of his teachings was based an Oracle of the God Delphi, so clearly Socrates did believe in the Gods even though he wasn't a devout follower. Socrates blunt, strait forward and brutally honest "plain speaking" seemed to make him seriously disliked by many people.

But although he was widely disliked in his own society was very valuable to both his society and today's world. Socrates encouraged a new way of free thinking and questioned people on difficult topics. Today the words of Socrates are still read and contemplated and much can be learn from the teachings of this intelligent free thinker. Socrates although accused of misleading the youth claimed that the accusers had the wrong story and that he was not intentionally misleading the youth at all. Socrates appeared to attract the youth who were already seeking knowledge and his intentions were not to mislead them, but simply to excise their minds and seek wisdom and knowledge himself. During his trial Socrates constantly attempts to call attention away from himself and towards his accusers by repeatedly calling them lairs and deeming himself trustworthy. Then Socrates continues to compare himself to his accusers claiming they were really in the wrong, which didn't seem to fly with the jury. Ultimately Socrates was a man of extraordinary intellectual ability and although his blunt way of thinking and questioning everything that was said to be true got him in trouble he was still one of the greatest philosophers to ever live.