Apology of Socrates
Socrates defends his questioning before an Athenian jury, considers a penalty after conviction, and addresses those who condemned or acquitted him. Plato makes a public trial an examination of knowledge, integrity and the value of living.
Understanding the text
Written after the execution of 399 BCE, the speech is a literary reconstruction by Plato, not a verbatim record or a work authored by Socrates.
Key points
- 01
The older accusations
Socrates distinguishes longstanding cultural suspicions from the formal charges of corrupting young people and religious wrongdoing.
- 02
The Delphic inquiry
Testing the oracle leads him to examine politicians, poets and craftsmen whose genuine abilities do not justify universal wisdom.
- 03
Integrity under threat
Refusing silence and theatrical appeals connects his defence to the claim that an unexamined life lacks human value.
Explore the ideas in depth
A defense that questions the city
Socrates answers charges of corrupting the young and failing to recognize the city’s gods. Recounting the Delphic oracle and conversations with reputed experts, he shows how difficult it is to recognize one’s own ignorance. Plato constructs a philosophical scene; it is not a complete trial transcript.
An examined life
Choosing between silence to avoid conviction and continued questioning tests his account of justice. Socrates refuses to present care of the soul as a technique guaranteeing success. Notice how he separates fear of death, which assumes uncertain knowledge, from fear of doing wrong.
How to read it
Read the three speeches separately. Ask which claims defend against an accusation and which present a philosophical vocation that may antagonize the jury.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗