Session 6
- Topics: "The Unexamined Life" & "The Only True Stateman"
- Reading: Plato, "The Apology"
- Why does Socrates believe that if he is executed, more harm will come to his accusers?
- What are the “penalties” and “counter-penalties” offered by Socrates and his accusers? What is the basis of their positions? Why does Socrates, through his actions, not choose the alternative penalties?
- Why does Socrates say that “the unexamined life is not worth living?” What did he mean by this? Was he correct? Why or why not?
- What reasons does Socrates give for avoiding a political career? Why does Socrates claim that “the true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even for a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics alone” (32a)?
- Why does Socrates claim to be the “only true statesman in Athens?” What warning does he give to the judges at the end of his address?
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