Republic of the Philippines

Sorsogon State University

School of Graduate Studies
Sorsogon City

Topic: The Apology of Socrates

Discussant: Edna E. Hermida, MAT
Subject: Seminar in Educational Philosophy and Sociology
Professor: Dr. Virginia P. Atutubo

THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES

The apology of Socrates is the first of the three dialogues written by Plato
during the trial of Socrates. The apology of Socrates is not an apology rather
the defense of Socrates during his trial.

SUMMARY
PLATO
• Born in Athens in 428- 347 BCE
• Disciple of Socrates
• Plato's philosophy was influenced by Socrates
• Founded the Academy to train leaders in philosophy in Athens
in 387
• Total of 42 Dialogues (Socrates as the Protagonist)
• Teacher of Aristotle

INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S GENDER AND STUDIES

By Melissa J. Gillis and Andrew T. Jacobs
Plato wrote that the best relationship would be an erotically charged
relationship between men, though he believed the highest relationship would
not involve actual sexual contact. It is from this ideal that we get the term
platonic relationship.

• Plato wrote that the best relationship would be an erotically

charged relationship between men, though he believed the
highest relationship would not involve actual sexual contact. It
is from this ideal that we get the term platonic relationship.
• Despite Plato’s assertion that an erotically charged but sexually
unconsummated relationship was best, he does have Socrates
say in the Phaedrus, that pairs of lovers, eromenoi (lover) and
erastoi (beloved) could reach heaven even if they did take part
in “that desire of their hearts which to many is bliss” (Crompton,
2003, p. 60-61)
• Crompton (2011) stated that in general “Plato’s dialogues are
suffused with a homoerotic ambience”
• However, in Plato’s last work, the Laws , he seems to take the
opposite view. In that work, Plato refers to heterosexual
intercourse as “natural” and same-sex sex between women
and men as “unnatural”.
 • Plato also writes of the origin of same and opposite sex urges.
In his Symposium , Plato has Aristophanes tell a tale of human
origins in which everyone was once a four legged creature until
Zeus cut each in half. Each half tried to reunite with its mate
and this explains the nature of human beings:

Men who are a section of that double nature which was once called
androgynous [made up of a man and a woman] are lovers of women,
adulterers are generally of this breed, and also adulterous women who lust
after men. The women who are a section of the woman do not care for men,
but have female attachments: the female companions [that is, lesbians] are
of this sort. But they who are a section of the male follow the male, and while
they are young, being slices of the original man, they have affection for men
and embrace them [the Greek verb implies a sexual sense], and these are
the best of boys and youths, because they have the most manly nature.
(Crompton, 2003, p. 58).

 This passage is an unusual celebration of male same-sex desire by

contemporary Western standards. Plato is explicitly linking manliness
not with heterosexual desire but with homosexual desire.

The Apology
The Apology is the first of the three dialogues on trial and death of Socrates
• Apology (an account of the trial)
• Crito (the day before socrate's execution)
• Phaedo (the day of the execution)
• "Apology" is not "I'm sorry" but Socrates defense before an
Athenian Jury on two charges
- Corrupting the youth of Athens
-Impiety
• Socrates response to the charges:
- How can he be guilty of " corrupting others when
no one willingly does harm?
- How can he be guilty of "atheism" if he believes in
"spiritual things"?
• Socrates also believes in deity, but his conception is completely
different from the typical Athenians. While to the Athenians
gods are human-like and confused, Socrates believes god to
be perfectly good and perfectly wise. His god is rationally
moral. His god also has a purpose.
• Socrates is found guilty by a narrow margin and is asked to
propose a penalty. Socrates stoically accepts the verdict with
the observation that no one but the gods know what happens
after death and so it would be foolish to fear what one does not
know. He also warns the jurymen who voted against him that in
silencing their critic rather than listening to him, they have
harmed themselves much more than they have harmed him.
PLATONISM
• philosophy of Plato
• the existence of abstract objects
 • which are asserted to exist in a third realm distinct from both
the sensible external world and from the internal world of
consciousness, and is the opposite of nominalism.
IDEALISM
• Plato father of idealism
• recognizes ideas, feelings and ideals more important than
material objects
• human development should be according to moral, ethical and
spiritual values so that he acquires the knowledge.
PLATONIC IDEALISM
• "PEOPLE SHOULD CONCERN THEMSELVES IN
SEARCHING FOR TRUTH"
• importance and use of dialectic (or critical discussion)
• two worlds: world of ideas (forms) and world of matter (ever-
changing)
• People do not create knowledge, but rather they discover it
(Doctrine of Reminiscence and in Meno)
PLATONIC REALISM
• IDEAS ARE REAL. THEY HAVE INDEPENDENT EXISTENCE,
APART FROM OUR THOUGHTS
• for Plato Universals have Transcendental (spiritual or non-
physical realm) existence apart from the particulars that
participate. The form is the cause of the essence of a thing,
and the particulars are said to imitate or copy the forms in an
imperfect way.