In this episode of the Ascend the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Father Justin Brophy, OP, delve into the second part of Plato's Apology, exploring Socrates' defense during his trial. They discuss the significance of Socrates' thoughts on death, virtue, and the role of philosophy in life. The conversation also touches on the influence of Saint Justin Martyr, the relationship between pagans and philosophy, and the concept of the daemon as a guiding force in Socrates' life.
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The episode emphasizes the importance of living a virtuous life and the challenges posed by political life, ultimately highlighting Socrates' role as a gadfly in Athenian society.
Keywords: Plato, Socrates, Apology, philosophy, virtue, Justin Martyr, death, polis, daemon, gadfly, Socrates, philosophy, politics, virtue, democracy, Apology, death, unexamined life, hope, justice
From the guide:
30. What should we learn from the Apology overall?
In Plato’s Apology, Socrates delivers a profound defense against charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, presenting himself as a divinely appointed gadfly to awaken Athens to wisdom and virtue, despite the city’s resistance to his philosophical mission. He distinguishes his authentic philosophy, driven by a true eros for wisdom and obedience to the God, from sophistry and poetic inspiration, emphasizing that the unexamined life is not worth living. Facing a close guilty verdict and death sentence, Socrates refuses to grovel, asserting that a just man cannot be harmed by a worse one, as only unjust acts can scar the soul. He concludes with hope, urging the jury to trust that “a good man cannot be harmed either in life or in death, and that his affairs are not neglected by the gods,” leaving a legacy that challenges Athens and shapes Western civilization. The Apology thus portrays Socrates’ trial as a defense of philosophy itself, highlighting its transformative power and inevitable tension with the democratic polis.