As Xenophon presents it,
Socrates' Apology is only partly a legal defense. What else is Socrates trying to accomplish? How successful is he? Could Socrates have been more effective in his defense if he had wanted to escape condemnation? Why? Do you see anything here that particularly shows why some early Christians thought of Socrates as a "Christian before Christ"?
I have to start out with my favorite little part of the Apology when Apollodorus tells Socrates he can hardly bear witnessing him being put to death unjustly, to which Socrates replies "was it your preference to see me put to death justly?" I think it's a great line and made me laugh. I also liked when he said he was wiser than other men because he knows that he doesn't know anything. It kind of goes along with what we talked about in class with people having too much pride and how dangerous that can be for individuals and entire countries.
ReplyDeleteI think the Socratic method is always pretty darn effective and asking lots of questions will get you somewhere. I guess kind of like Justin, it didn't seem like Socrates was really trying to avoid condemnation. I think early Christians may have thought of Socrates as a "Christian before Christ" because he claimed to have been given counsels by God and was never mistaken. I also really liked that little exchange.
That line made me laugh, too. Socrates is so snarky! -Claire
DeleteAs we discussed in class, Socrates is using this trial not to defend himself, but to show the holes in the legal system. By speaking out against the preposterousness of the whole situation, he is reaching a huge audience of people. He is also doing it with a style that is all his own, that makes people relate to him.
ReplyDeleteI think Christians thought of Socrates as a Christian before Christ because his trial is somewhat similar to the one that Jesus was put through. Both were accused with charges on flimsy standing at best, neither of them defended themselves in the traditional way, both ended up dying because of the trial, and both reached a larger audience and affected more people because they wen through the ordeal. Socrates also defends himself in a style and a way that lends itself well to the defense of Christianity.
Claire
Socrates and Jesus are very similar in the sense of trials and how they handled it.
ReplyDeleteJesus was arrested under the false statement that he was a false prophet. He was tried, did not argue, remained calm and answered what questions they had, and in the end was killed for it.
Socrates was arrested and put on trial. He was tried, didn't argue, but turned the allegations against him around and used them to question the judges about why they were doing this, pointed out holes within the legal system, and was killed for it. The way Socrates defends himself helps people to see that not only was he doing it to defend himself, he was using his arguments to defend Christianity as well.
In Xenophon’s version of the Apology, Socrates is doing much more than defending himself in court. He is trying to show what it means to live a life of virtue and wisdom. His speech is not just about proving innocence. It is a final lesson to his friends and fellow citizens about staying true to one’s values even in the face of death. Socrates wants to show that death is not something to be feared if one has lived a just and honorable life. He even seems to welcome it, believing that the gods may be sparing him from the decline of old age.
ReplyDeleteSocrates could have made a stronger legal defense if he truly wanted to avoid condemnation. He refuses to flatter the jury or ask for pity because he believes that would go against his principles. He does not see life as something to cling to at any cost. Instead, he sees his death as part of a larger purpose. In this way, his defense is not successful in legal terms, but it is deeply powerful in a moral and philosophical sense.This attitude helps explain why early Christians saw him as a “Christian before Christ.” Like Jesus, Socrates accepts his unjust death with calm faith, speaks of a higher moral truth, and challenges the values of the world around him. He teaches, not just with words, but with the way he faces the end of his life.