plato the trial and death of socrates hackett

Socrates was not concerned with making men moral according to some predetermined ideological belief or dogma. He would argue, in other words, that all societies should be subject to critical analysis, which has made Socratic dialogue a timeless feature of western thought. Socrates prioritized the pursuit of knowledge and informed citizenship as a moral and intellectual commitment that transcended any ideological or dogmatic basis upon which societies rest. It is in the Apology where Socrates is quoted as famously declaring, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This quote illustrated Socrates’ unwavering commitment to the critical examination of assumptions, preconceived worldviews, and beliefs, which resulted in his state-imposed death. The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David, 1787 Part One, Chapter One: Preface to Readings Preface to Readings

Socrates’s method serves as a foundation for Western Philosophy, and analyzing the Apology introduces contemporary students to a form of critical analysis and education that transcends centuries of human civilization. His pursuit of knowledge through the Socratic Method portrayed a façade of humility on his part and episodic humiliation on the part of his interlocutors. While he claimed to have no wisdom, Socrates’s gadfly approach made him a menace to powerful individuals. Rather, he claimed ignorance and sought truth from others in a relentless form of questioning that deconstructed traditional beliefs, established institutions, and conventional knowledge. Socrates did not attempt to impose a specific ideology or dogma on others. The Apology, written by Plato in 360 BC, is Socrates’s defense against his accusers who charged him with impiety in 399 BC –for not believing in the state’s gods and for allegedly corrupting the minds of young men through his persistent questioning. Hence, we know Socrates only through the work of others. This chapter introduces students to Socrates through the writings of Plato.

Plato the trial and death of socrates hackett