Apology (B)

(Originally written November 22, 2016 in Book 26)

Apology (Continued)
Plato

Socrates maintains that he has wronged no one and will not start now by wronging himself by offering a less evil penalty for his conviction that Meletus has (and is the customary practice of the court). Besides, he still isn't convinced death is a wrong at all. "Am I then to choose in preference to this something that I know very well to be an evil...?" (Plato, 39).

"The unexamined life is not worth living for men" (Plato, 39).

He sets his penalty at that which will not hurt him. Since he is poor he sets it at one mina of silver. But than sets it at 30 minas.

Socrates addresses those who sentenced him to death, stating that he would rather die after offering his manly and virtuous defense than survive by debasing himself and offering a defense that is full of emotive qualities.

He thinks it's wrong to avoid death in war or at trial at all costs.

It is easier to avoid death then wickedness: Socrates has caught by death but his accusers have been caught by wickedness. "They are condemned by truth to wickedness and injustice" (Plato, 40).

Socrates prophesies that by killing him they will not be able to live life unchallenged but will face more men like Socrates, and younger ones at that! They will test the men. "To escape such tests is neither possible nor good, but it is best and easiest not to discredit it others but to prepare oneself to be as good as possible" (Plato, 41).

Socrates tells the jurors who voted for his acquittal that death is not an evil; for if it was an evil the god who prevented Socrates from doing evil would have prevented him from saying that which got him sentenced to death.

Death is either nothingness or a relocating process where the soul goes to another place where he could converse and test good men and wise men.

"A good man cannot be harmed in life or in death, and that his affairs are not neglected by the gods" (Plato, 42).

The jurors who voted for death are only doing the will of the divine which is good; but, they are to be blamed because they intended harm.

Socrates' parting words to the jurymen who voted for acquittal: "I go to die, you go to live. Which of us goes to the better lot is known to no one, except the god" (Plato, 42).