Plato 2

Protocol: 26 June
Author: Reg

Socrates’ Counterarguments
1. Corrupting the youth
One person cannot corrupt the whole youth
The youth deliberately went to Socrates to listen to him and question those who think they are
wise but are not.
If this accusation were proven to be true, then these young men would have realized upon
maturity that they have been corrupted and would accuse Socrates and avenge themselves.
2. Impiety
Socrates was guilty of believing in gods but not believing in gods.
“If I do believe in daemon (demigod), then I do believe in gods as well.”
Divine Sign – (If I really know it’s not good, why do I do it anyway?)
When an action is realized to be wrong after it has been done, this feeling comes from a certain
knowledge.
Socrates possesses this knowledge being guided by a daemon to rectify his wrongdoings.
Divine sign – a spirit with him
The divine sign did not interrupt Socrates during the trial. Everything in the trial was in accordance
with truth and justice.
Conscience is [much like the Socratic] divine sign. It is the knowledge one does not know one has.

Human wisdom
One possesses human wisdom when one admits [one's] own ignorance. One knows that his knowledge is
limited.
This shows the attitude of humility

Socrates as an icon
Socrates was used as a symbol/example/icon/sign.
“If anyone wishes to be wise, he must be like Socrates.”
Socrates did not boast at all. He humbly accepted his task of bringing everyone to the same
awareness as he had.

Apologia
“apologetics” – speaking and writing in defense
Early Christian apologetics engaged in writing to defend their beliefs and to give an explanation
Socrates did not ask for an apology from the men of Athens for he did not see anything wrong with
his actions.

Socrates’ ultimate concern during his defense
The over-arching theme was dikē (justice). From the start, the issue has been about justice (18a)
Socrates could have done other things to be acquitted (e.g. bring in his family and friends to arouse
pity) but he did not do such for it is totally unjust and against justice.
Socrates showed no duplicity in him. He was one [and] the same person. He has always been following
the dictates of what is just.
The Greek [idea of dike: e]ach person has the task to be in harmony with that order.
Achilles had the responsibility to avenge the death of Patroclus by killing Hector as demanded by
justice.
Socrates consistency in fulfilling his task to philosophize is the evidence of his justice.

Socrates’ account on fearing death
One who fears death is like the man who thinks he knows what he does not.
Death as a blessing:
Total annihilation
• Death is total emptiness. One falls into total oblivion
• It is complete lack of perception like a dreamless sleep.
• If death is like you’re knocked out for an eternity, isn’t that a pleasurable thing?
A change and a relocating for the soul – (If death merely transfers soul, how can that be beneficial?)Socrates will meet everybody else in the underworld where the just can be found in the isles of the blessed and Elysium fields, while the unjust in Tartarus. • Socrates can still continue his task of questioning people without having to fear death.

Nothing can harm a just man
Socrates sees himself as a gadfly.
The horse kills the gadfly but does not actually harm it. The gadfly is just merely fulfilling its task of
disturbing the horse.
Socrates fulfilled justice through continuing his task of philosophizing. He was not harmed at all by
his accusers.
Wickedness and Death (39b)
Death has not caught up with us. It takes its time
Each one of us has done a wicked thing. This is how wickedness caught us.
When one is being wicked, one allows himself to be destroyed.
When telling a lie, you rip yourself to shred to do two parts:
[One part knows] what the truth is
[The other part puts] a mask to deceive people
A person telling a lie destroys himself and his integrity - (“Integer” – whole number)
A person of integrity is not broken but []whole.