Gorgias Defense on Behalf of Palamedes Essays - Socratic Dialogues

Carolyn Adams Philosophy 240 June 27, 2011 Comparison of Socrates? Apology to one Written by Gorgias The Apology of Socrates is Plato?s version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself against the charges of ?corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes. In the opening paragraphs of Xenophon?s Apology he remarks that previous writers had failed to make clear the reason for Socrates? boastful talk considering he was facing the death penalty. Xenophon nowhere explicitly claims Plato?s Apology to be inaccurate even though his account disagrees in some respects. I find this claim plausible, because there is no real way to know how closely Socrates? words in the Apology match those of Socrates at the actual trial. In the first sentence of the Apology, Socrates begins by saying that he doesn?t know if the men of Athens (the jury) have been persuaded by his accusers. Socrates asks the jury not to judge him by his oratorical skills, but by the truth. By doing so, Socrates imitates, parodies and even corrects The Orators. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apology_(Plato) Socrates says that he will not use ornate words or carefully arranged phrases, but rather speak the expressions that come into his head. In this way Socrates corrects the Orators, showing what they should have been doing all along, speaking the truth persuasively with wisdom. My view is that by doing so Socrates alienated his jurors from the beginning of his own defense. I believe this because Anytus, one of the three men who had brought charges against Socrates did so because Socrates had offended him by naming names of prominent Athenians who had, according to Socrates, produced sons inferior to themselves. Anytus warns Socrates that running people down (?kakos legein?) could get him in trouble.( Therefore, I do not think it is implausible that perhaps some of these very men were his jurors. These jurors may have felt he was mocking their ability to speak the truth, thereby ?running them down,? from the beginning of his speech. Meletus, the only one of Socrates accusers to speak during Socrates? defense, allows himself to be cross-examined by Socrates. Socrates said that Meletus was a young unknown with a hook nose. Socrates accuses Meletus of not caring about the things he professes to care about and argues that no one would intentionally harm another person (because they would stand to be harmed by that person at a later date) ( Meletus falls into a trap and where he had joined the accusers because he was ?vexed on behalf of the poets?, not paying attention to the charges he is bringing, accuses Socrates of both atheism and believing in demi-gods. I believe that a convincing argument as to why Socrates Apology did not succeed in winning him an acquittal would be because throughout he continually antagonizes the court. Socrates antagonizes the court by stating that the Delphic Oracle has singled him out to spur his fellow Athenians to a greater awareness of moral goodness and truth. Socrates says that even if charges were withdrawn he would still not stop questioning his fellow citizens and asks ?Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and honor, and give no attention or thought to truth and understanding and the perfection of your soul It is my contention that Socrates in his Apology comes across as not only antagonistic but also sarcastic. I think he may have considered himself superior to his judge and jury. I wonder if Socrates really believed that he would actually be sentenced to death. While undeniably brilliant and enlightened, had Socrates shown more humility during his trial perhaps he would have had a better chance of escaping the death penalty. Socrates believed that in practice rhetoric was flattery, it made the audience feel worthy because they could identify with the rhetorician?s argument. Socrates argued that rhetoric is not an art, but merely a knack: it guesses at what?s pleasant with no consideration for what?s best. ? And I say it isn?t a craft, but a knack, because it has no account of the nature of whatever thing it applies it applies by which it applies