Apology Part 1 Summary | Defense vs the First Accusers

Описание: Socrates identifies his First Accusers & defends against their accusations. Summary of part 1 of Plato's Apology (19a-24b)

Plato's Apology playlist:    • Plato's Apology  

0:00 Overview of Part 1 speech
0:29 Introduces himself to the jury
0:54 Two sets of accusers
1:26 Pointing out potential bias in the jury
1:58 Two things to watch for
2:22 Contrasts himself with the Sophists
3:06 Story of the Oracle, 3 points about it

#Plato #Socrates #Apology

Music: Among the Clouds, by Darren Curtis

Thumbnail Image: Plato. By Unknown - https://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Page..., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Images:
Color portrait of Socrates. By Juliethe,jaramillo - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Troublemaker.
Fake News.
Horses.
Temple at Delphi.
Stand out from the crowd.

Transcript:
Hello, I’m Dr. Anadale. In this video I will go over the main content of what I am calling Part 1 of Plato’s Apology.
In this part of the dialogue, Socrates introduces himself to the jury to begin his speech in his own defense, and he provides his defense against the early accusers, the first of the two sets of accusers he says he faces.
In introducing himself, Socrates denies that he will deceive the jury by using fancy rhetoric. And this is one the charges against him. He claims that he will merely speak the truth, and he asks the jury to not be offended if he uses a crude form of speech, the kind of speech that he is accustomed to use in the marketplace, talking to anybody who will listen.
Socrates then tells the jury that he faces two sets of accusers.
The first set of accusers are the fathers and teachers of the jurymen. They have spent decades telling stories about how Socrates is a troublemaker, how he investigates natural phenomena, and makes weak argument defeat strong arguments.
Notice that these are the occupations of the natural philosophers (who study the earth and stars) and the sophists (who make weak arguments win).
Look for Socrates’ evidence against both charges: how he defends himself against the charge that he investigates the physical world, and the charge that he teaches unethical argument tactics. (Hint: the second answer involves being paid for teaching.)
Socrates, in raising this issue of the early accusers, is indirectly pointing out the issue of bias on the part of the jurors. He is pointing out to them that all of them come with a set of quite strong beliefs that they have been instructed in by their teachers and fathers, about Socrates, who makes trouble, and who does all sorts of things. So he is appealing indirectly to their knowledge of his reputation in court, and how this might bias their judgment against him.
Look for Socrates’ evidence that he gives against both of these charges. How does he defend himself against the charge that investigates the physical world, and how does he defend himself against the charge that he teaches unethical argument tactics? A hint for the second one is the question of payment, being paid for teaching. So look carefully for the evidence Socrates provides on both of those counts.
Then Socrates offers the sort of example or comparison that many Athenians found offensive. He asks Callias where he would take his sons to be trained, if they were colts or calves. Here, Socrates is mocking the Sophists, and people who paid for their lessons. He suggests that they treat their students like livestock, not like free and intellectual human beings.
In contrasting himself to the Sophists, Socrates also claims to possess no wisdom, or at least only human wisdom, he says, not the seemingly supernatural (godly) wisdom the sophists claim to have and sell.
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