Study Questions
Does Socrates make any philosophical
assertions, and if so, of what kind are they? On
one hand, he denies having any kind of specialized
knowledge, and on the other hand, he makes
assertions such as "the unexamined life is not
worth living" and "no one ever knowingly does
wrong." Can we reconcile these two positions?
Was Socrates trying to get himself acquitted?
If he was not, what effect was he trying to exert
on the jury?
Socrates asserts that he is wise only in that
he knows that he knows nothing. He sets up the
model of the philosopher as one who does not have
any specialized knowledge, but who is instead well-
skilled at revealing the ignorance of others.
Plato, Socrates' immediate successor, wants to
claim all sorts of positive wisdom for the
philosopher (such as knowledge of the theory of
forms). To what extent do you think Socrates is
correct in saying that philosophy does not consist
of positive wisdom?
Characterize Socratic irony and the role it
plays in Socrates' method. To what extent and to
what effect is this irony employed? Can we take
anything Socrates' says seriously? And is there a
rigid connection between being serious and speaking
the truth?
What is the supernatural sign or divine voice
that Socrates alludes to at 31c-d and 40a? Might
we count this as some kind of specialized
knowledge, the kind which Socrates vehemently
denies having? Or is this a kind of intuition or
inspiration of the kind Socrates identifies with
the poets? How seriously does Socrates mean what
he says here? And if he is joking, what is the
purpose of the joke?
Is there a conflict between 31a, where Socrates
claims he is irreplaceable, and 39c-d, where he
claims that many more critics will take his place
if he is executed? How can these two claims be
reconciled?
Discuss Socrates' attitude toward religion. He
is on trial in part for being impious and
irreligious, and responds only very briefly to
these charges. Furthermore, his attitudes toward
the supernatural seem to waver a great deal. In
his cross-examination of Meletus, he seems to
suggest that only the gods and the children of the
gods are supernatural, and yet at other points, he
alludes to his supernatural sign and to the
possibility of human souls living after death. Is
Socrates guilty of impiety?
Explain and discuss the elenchus, or
cross-examination, between Socrates and Meletus.
Whose side would you take in their argument? Can
you think of arguments Meletus might have made
against Socrates had he been quicker witted?
