Info: find below a summary of the "Apology of Socrates, by Plato. I summarized the dialogue for each chapter (the number is indicated at the beginning of each of them in Roman numerals).
Source: The reference text is a translation of Manara Valgimigli, from "The great philosophers , Plato (The Sun 24 hours).
Note: if anyone finds any mistakes (spelling / have to copy / paste from Word document on Blogger), may report in the comments.
Summary: Apology
(I) Socrates at the age of seventy years, is presented for the first time in front of the jury consisting of 500 individuals and, before you start defending itself, is a premise on one of the accusations that have been addressed: says have really amazed at the words of his accusers have cautioned the courts not to be fooled by nice words and his amazing oratory. But the philosopher says he is not so good speaker and how they have presented this court with the sole purpose of telling the truth. (II) Socrates acknowledges the presence of two types of prosecutors: Prosecutors
- old - are represented by the common people, consider them far more dangerous of others because they have grown along with the judges who have the task of issuing the sentence and who have heard the lies about him. The prosecution is to be addressed to a great scholar, to investigate the affairs of the sky and ground: and the charge is an extremely serious because it defines an atheist. A former prosecutor who is the playwright Aristophanes in his play "The Clouds" which represents him as an unbeliever, suspended in midair in order to better observe nature, corrupts the young. There are other accusations of this type, too many to mention them all
- latest Prosecutors - are Meleto (spokesperson for the prosecution), Anita and Licone, but these will be discussed later
(III) Socrates then presents the ancient accusation: to be blamed for looking for things of the sky and ground, able to bring up the best and worst reason to teach others this art, it is defends himself by saying that it is not able to do these things or know how to teach, then they are lying, like all the rest who said his enemies. (IV) But there are people who can teach in payment, as the sophists Gorgias or even: and it's good people, says Socrates, because it is so easy to teach one to become a man and a citizen. (V) The wisdom of Socrates, if you're really talking about wisdom, wisdom is a human, the other, perhaps, have a knowledge more than human, but he did not have it. From where then came the voice of his great wisdom? Who called it the most cultured of all human beings? It 'was the Pythia, a spokesman for Apollo, consulted by his friend the philosopher, Cherefonte. (VI) not thinking so much wisdom, he sought to refute the oracle. To do this, inquired who had a reputation for being better educated, then went from a politician: this was considered learned from others and so he thought, but really did not know. Therefore, in this case, Socrates was wise because knew he did not know, while others believed it was not wise. (VII) then went on a visiting poet and discovered that the poets to write a sort of divine inspiration and that normal people think and interpret the best works written by them: they are like fortune-tellers, but they say many things without understanding the true meaning. The poets, who consider themselves experts in the art of poetry, they think they are even the wisest of men are wrong. One can therefore say that in this case was more wise Socrates. For his investigation, however, he became obnoxious to many. (VIII) From artists reach the same conclusion: they are good at their art, but believed to be adept in all the rest confound their own wisdom. (IX) From his research arose the hatred, the lies by those who accused him of being the wiser, but is the only wise God, that his message would probably say that it is wisest who, like Socrates, has become aware of their ignorance. (X) to fuel hatred against him are also the young aristocrats who, fascinated by its investigation, trying to imitate him unleashing the anger of the "interrogation" that addressed the allegations of which we spoke before and the blame for impiety. To this are also clinging Meleto (in defense of the poets), Anita (for artists / politicians) and Licone (for speakers). And so ends the first defense against the accusers: Socrates against the charges that have arisen because the citizens feel hatred towards him for his "vice" to needle in the order of God and showing them not to contradict be wise. (XI) Socrates then goes on to defend himself by accusing most recent of which is Meleto Spokesman: This has accused of corrupting young people, not to recognize the gods of the city and make new / different religions (it is, briefly, called "heretical"). To begin the first charge is justified: it says Meleto who is guilty because he makes fun of things that never healed. (XII) come alive in a dialogue with this denouncer: Meleto, questioned by Socrates, says that because the defendant is guilty of corrupting the young, as all other citizens, however, as the courts, educate them. For young people, says the philosopher, it would be very lucky if only one of them corrupt and the other helps them to become men. (XIII) Because who does good is good and the wicked Socrates does evil, evil, it should be (really stupid enough to intentionally hurt someone, growing, may return. So does it unintentionally, in this case , However, you should not find in a court but we need someone, even Meleto itself, make him understand where that is wrong so do not wander more. The accusation does not hold. (XIV) Meleto also has fallen into a contradiction: the act of indictment says that Socrates does not believe in gods of the city but that teaches young people to believe in other gods, but now, during the dialogue, Socrates defines an atheist (because the philosopher says = moon earth sun → = stone but this was already written in the comedies of Aristophanes). (XV) And then, still in the indictment, it is said that Socrates pursues things demonic: but if there are things there will be demonic demons, sons of gods, then there is an obvious contradiction and Meleto he lies because Socrates does not believe in gods, but at the same time we believe. " (XVI) Socrates has no remorse for what he did and, indeed, it is certain that most of shame or cowardice, one has to worry about being in agreement with itself because otherwise it would be useless to live on earth knowing I did what that you thought was right. (XVII) And also, since he risked his life in war, no sacrifice would be useless for someone to obey superior to God To stand with folded hands would be afraid of death, to believe to know and do not know why death can be the worst of evils like the best of goods. Death does not frighten him! In any case he would continue his mission if it were not condemned would do, would undertake to make it clear to the Athenians that the soul is more important than the wealth / beauty. These and all that is good for the citizens and the state stem from the virtue that is to know, be aware. (XVIII) death sentence would be bad for both him and the city, because he is considered a gift to Athens: Socrates is, as he defines himself as a gadfly to the Athenians teases trying to awaken, to make them understand what is really important and selfless sacrifices himself because, he neglects. Do not ask for compensation but to help others is a witness to his poverty. Such a gift of God hardly receive the Athenians. Not afraid to Anita who wants to send him to death, does not consider it a bad thing: it is instead a much more serious harm to an innocent person put to death. (XIX) Many will wonder why Socrates speaks to the individual, but never in front of large crowds, he explains that there is a voice inside him, a demonic spirit that prevents him from doing certain things and is right to prohibit him from deal with state affairs, politics because for both would die without being able to do good. (XX) But he is a coward, not afraid of death as stated above. In fact, when it was part of pritani did not hesitate to vote against the death sentence of the 10 captains who had not collected the survivors / the dead after the naval battle of Arginusae: so had incurred the hatred of others, in danger of dying. Another time when he put his life was in danger during the rule of the Thirty: Odin did not obey to kill Leon. Was saved thanks to the collapse of the government. (XXI) The few times he discussed public affairs has been on the side of right. He never had students: they can listen to all and free to become what his listeners he will not accept neither praise nor blame. (XXII) If you really corrupts the youth, now some of them, now adults, or their relatives, could confirm the allegations of Meleto. But they, including Crito / Plato's favor and so are all their relatives: Meleto is a liar! (XXIII) Socrates is justified not groped to move the judges with tears and for not bringing them to his children: no, it does not out of pride but out of respect for the city. And that goes for the other: They ridicule and outrage well as their fellow citizens for their lives thinking that if they were not convicted, would live forever. (XXIV) not want to then move the judges and the does so because so confuses them, move them away from their oath to judge according to law: So you could say that the gods do not exist, but he believes in the divinity. The accused thus has the sole right to defend themselves. This completes the defense of Socrates. (XXV) We proceed with the vote to determine whether the accused is guilty: 280 votes in favor and 220 against. Socrates, ironic, is said to amazed at the subtle hint and says that if the three accused were counted each individual he should receive from each one thousand drachmas for not having reached the fifth of the votes. (XXVI) For the service rendered to the city Socrates, according to himself, deserves to be fed free in Prytaneion, such as athletes, but he has more right because it makes people happy, and the last, winning a race, makes them seem happy. (XXVII) makes no sense to ask other penalty than that proposed by Meleto (ie death). Death, Socrates says, we do not know whether it is good or bad. Instead, the prison, a fine (which the philosopher can not pay because he is poor), exile (wherever he went would be kicked out again) are evil for him. (XXVIII) Living without philosophy no longer makes sense: it is the job of Socrates. Disobey God is unreasonable. It proposes that in exchange for the death penalty is made to pay a modest fine under the guarantee of friends. (XXIX) second vote to choose the punishment. Socrates was condemned to death. It does not take the wrong decision. E 'quiet: rather die knowing that he had defended in accordance with justice rather than live knowing that he was vile arousing the courts mercy. At death, however, is always easy to escape: just be cowardly, not as the evil. He was one taken by death, but others, his accusers, will be condemned by the truth and face to face with this is much more difficult. (XXX) Socrates makes a prediction: there will be many others like him and those who condemned him fail to make the same with the other, instruments of truth, then we must live so successfully. (XXXI) The philosopher makes a confession all the time in court that he found the demon was never opposed to its actions, then perhaps death is not bad, do not fear it. (XXXII) "takes it easy" death: it says, can be of two types: either it is like a dreamless sleep, where it is quiet / quiet, or is it just a real-world migrate to another place where all the dead meet: joy, and that would be able to converse with the demi-gods and poets such as Homer, Hesiod and to question the heroes of the Trojan War, or those unjustly condemned: and no one there he could be sentenced to death if they are all immortal philosopher. (XXXIII) Socrates believes that everything he did was right. Nor bear any grudge or even with the judges and prosecutors and prays with those who condemned him to his children what he did to them the second call divine.
