Foundation

Question 1

What is an Apology?

Answer 1

• A defence speech (in this case Socrates is the defendant)

Question 2

What are the charges against Socrates

Answer 2

• not believing in the gods of this city
• bring new gods and teach them to youth
• corrupting youth
• making weaker arguments stronger (being a sophist and getting paid)
• for investigations of the heavens and below

Question 3

Why does Socrates not Fear Death?

Answer 3

1. does not know what comes after death
2. either a dreamless sleep or we go into the underworld
3. dreamless sleep is good
4. the underworld is good (to question noble people)
5. both options after death is good
6. therefore we should not fear death

Question 4

Socreate’s hierarchy and value claim

Answer 4

1. with knowledge, we will lead a good life because we will kbnow the good life
2. mistaken wisdom, mo direction in leading a good life, insist against finding out what is the good life (think we already know them)
3. human wisdom, recognise that we do not know how to lead a good life compels us to find an answer

Question 5

What is the authority of the law?

Answer 5

• we consent to the law having authority
• justifiable to us instead of requiring consent

Question 6

What is Crito about?

Answer 6

• the authority of the law is central to the crito
• after the persecution of Socrates, while he is waiting for execution, his friend Crito comes to him and tries to convince him to break out

Question 7

Crito’s Argument

Answer 7

1. By letting Socrates die, Crito and his friends will get a bad reputation, as it seems like they care more about money rather than their friends
2. The risk of helping Socrates escape is minimal since they can bribe people
3. don’t worry about the cost- Socrates has rich friends
4. plenty of good places to live in exile
5. it is Unjust to ruin oneself (by dying) as one’s enemies would do
6. it is unjust to abandon one’s children when one can give them a better life
7. cowardly to accept defeat when you can resist

Question 8

Socrates moral argument

Answer 8

1. Justice makes a person’s life worth living- makes it good
2. performing just actions better her life and performing unjust actions damages it
3. Justice concerns our souls/integrity/dignity, not our bodies
4. the important this is not to live but to live well (48b)
5. from these, “I cannot help thinking that the question whether we are sure to die… ought not to weigh with us at all in comparison with the risk of acting unjustly”(48d)

Question 9

What are Socrates’ moral arguments against escaping?

Answer 9

1. to commit injustice (or to harm another) willingly is in every case bad for the person who does it
2. one ought not to commit injustice or inflict harm (in retaliation)
3. break an agreement harms those whom you have agreed
4. one ought to fulfill one’s agreements
5. Socrates agreed to accept his punishment (from apology)
6. by escaping, Socrates would break his agreement, commit an injustice, and harm himself

Thus Socrates did not escape

Question 10

What are the two primary reasons why we are to obey the law?

Answer 10

1. they gave birth and rear citizens, as parents do to children
2. Socrates has willingly accepted the laws by living in Athens

Question 11

What is the argument of the Rearing?

Answer 11

1. citizens are reared and cultivated by the laws (marriage, education, and economy all play a formative role in a person’s life)
2. rear and cultivate preciousness
3. what is precious must be respected by whom it is precious to
4. citizens owe respect and obedience to the law

Thus citizens are obligated to follow the law

Question 12

What is the argument for the agreement

Answer 12

1. any citizen is free to leave the state if she so chooses
2. by understanding the law and living in the state, a citizen tacitly agrees to the law
3. to agree to the law is to commit oneself to obey them

by understanding the law and living in the state, one is obligated by them