Description
Book SynopsisIn Plato's Apology of Socrates we see a philosopher in collision with his societya society he nonetheless claims to have benefited through his philosophic activity. It has often been asked why democratic Athens condemned a philosopher of Socrates' character to death. This anthology examines the contribution made by Plato's Apology of Socrates to our understanding of the character of Socrates as well as of the conception of philosophy Plato attributes to him. The 11 chapters offer complementary readings of the Apology, which through their different approaches demonstrate the richness of thisPlatonic work as well as the various layers that can be discerned in its presentation of Socrates. While the contributions display variety in both topics and angles, they also share common features: An awareness of the importance of the literary aspects of Plato's courtroom drama, as well as a readiness to take into consideration the historical context of the work. Thereby they provide contribution
Trade ReviewUndergraduates frequently encounter Plato through the Apology. But how does one move from impressions of this exceptional dialogue to philosophical and historical scholarship? This fine anthology, from a 2015 conference in Bergen, Norway, supplies this pedagogical need. The 11 essays survey cruxes of the dialogue that Gro Rørstadbotten (in his essay "Socrates's Telling of the Truth") calls the "point zero," where Plato's Socrates meets his historical counterpart. Most essays problematize Socrates himself. Arlene Saxonhouse sees tensions between democracy and "shameless" speech (parrhesia). Other contributors link Socrates's rhetoric to history. Rørstadbotten reviews the amnesty law that prohibited litigious reference to the atrocities of the oligarchy. Hallvard Fossheim faults Socrates regarding Aristotle’s account of virtue—Socrates's cleverness, poverty, and lack of straightforward political engagement compromise practical wisdom. The eminent Paul Woodruff argues that Socrates's exhortation to Athens is strange unless understood as a call to jurors "to examine themselves and live in accordance with human limitations." Such insights supplement those in previous works on either the broader philosophy of Socrates (e.g., Thomas Brickhouse and Nicholas Smith's The Philosophy of Socrates, CH, Jul'00, 37-6200) or on his rhetoric (I. F. Stone's The Trial of Socrates, CH, Nov'88, 26-1493). Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: A Shameless Socrates on Trial in Democratic Athens Arlene Saxonhouse Chapter 2: Philosophy, Democracy and Poverty: The Philosopher as Political Agent in Plato’ Apology Oda Tvedt Chapter 3: The Temporality of Philosophy in the Apology Kristin Sampson Chapter 4: Plato’s Socrates in the Apology: Speaking in Two Voices Knut Ågotnes Chapter 5: Socrates’ Daimonic Ethics: Myth and Heroism in Plato’s Apology Jacob Howland Chapter 6: Plato’s Apologies Gro Rørstadbotten Chapter 7: The Character of Socrates in Plato’s Apology: An Aristotelian Analysis Hallvard Fossheim Chapter 8: Socrates’ Failure: Language and Lies in Plato’s Apology Olof Pettersson Chapter 9: Self-Images of Socrates. Respect for Tradition and Critical Examination in Plato’s Apology Elena Irrera Chapter 10: Socrates’ Mission Paul Woodruff Chapter 11: The Philosophical Force of Negativity: Elenchos and Socratic Conversation in Plato’s Apology Vivil Valvik Haraldsen
