The life and teachings of Socrates (c. 469-399
B.C.) stand at the foundation of Western
philosophy. He lived in Athens during a time of
transition (Athens' defeat at the hands of Sparta
in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) ended the
Golden Age of Athenian civilization) and had a
tremendous influence on the Athenian youth of his
day. Socrates himself never recorded his thoughts,
so our only record of his life and thought comes
from his contemporaries. These accounts are mixed
and often biased by the authors' personal
interpretations.
It seems that Socrates led a very simple life,
renouncing wealth and holding himself aloof from
political ambitions, preferring instead to mingle
with the crowds in Athens' public places, engaging
whomever he could in conversation. Nonetheless, he
did serve as a hoplite (heavy infantryman) in
several battles during the Peloponnesian War, and
was distinguished by his fortitude and bravery. In 399,
Socrates was brought before a jury of around 500
Athenians on charges of not recognizing the gods
recognized by the state, of inventing new deities,
and of corrupting the youth of Athens.
The most likely reason for this trial is Socrates'
close association with a number of men who had
fallen out of political favor in Athens. But
because an amnesty had been declared for political
offenders, other charges had to be brought against
him. Socrates was found guilty by a narrow margin
and then sentenced to death.
Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.), the author of The
Apology, was one of Socrates' greatest
admirers, and our knowledge of Socrates stems
mostly from Plato's dialogues (for competing
accounts, see Aristophanes' satirical presentation
in The Clouds and the writings of Xenophon).
Plato was born into a prominent Athenian family,
and was expected to pursue a career in politics.
However, the short-lived Spartan-imposed oligarchy
of the Thirty Tyrants (404-403) and the trial and
execution of his mentor, Socrates, led Plato to
become disgusted with Athenian political life, and
he devoted himself instead to teaching and
philosophical inquiry. To that end, he founded the
Academy around 385 B.C., which counted Aristotle
among its students. The Academy lasted in one form
or another until 527 A.D., 912 years in total, and
served as the prototype for the Western university
system.
Plato's thought is mostly recorded in the form of
dialogues which feature Socrates as the
protagonist. Apparently, the Socratic dialogue was
a genre form at the time; not just Plato, but many
of Socrates' other students recorded philosophical
debates in this form. Plato's dialogues are
generally classed into early, middle, and late
periods. The early dialogues were written soon
after Socrates' death, and in them we get the
clearest picture of Socrates and Socratic
philosophy. As Plato matured, however, he
developed an increasingly distinct voice and
philosophical outlook. The figure of Socrates in
the middle and late dialogues (for example,
The Republic and Phaedo) is
more of a mouthpiece for Plato's own views.
The Apology is one of Plato's earlier
dialogues, in which we find none of his more
characteristic doctrines, but rather a stolid
attempt to present an honest and sympathetic
portrait of his mentor. Presumably, Plato's aim
was, at least in part, to defend Socrates'
reputation after Socrates' trial and execution.
