Philosophy 100 WF1 – Introduction to Philosophy and Its History, I

St. Peter’s University - Fall Term UG 1 – Professor Evans

First Essay Assignment: Plato’s The Apology of Socrates

Your essay should be approximately 750 words.  This gives you an idea of the length I expect, but I don’t count words or pages.  Write the best essay that you can.  Answer all questions.  Please type your essay in MS Word and send it to me by email attachment.  Please don’t use any other word processing programs, because I may not be able to open them. Your essay should be double-spaced, with margins about 1 inch all the way around.  I do expect that you will proofread your essay and correct typos and grammatical errors.  The date the essay is due is absolutely no later than Monday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m.

This is not a research assignment.  I strongly recommend that you do not search online for help in writing this essay.  Most of what is online is either junk or simply not relevant for us.  I have designed this assignment so that you need only consult our reading and notes on the chapter in order to write a fine essay.  If you have any questions, just ask me.

I also remind you about the policy on plagiarism as stated on our syllabus.

******************

So here’s your essay assignment.  Answer all questions in bold:

            In Plato’s The Apology of Socrates, what did the oracle at Delphi say about Socrates?  How did Socrates initially react?  What did he then claim to discover about what the oracle meant, and how did he discover it?

            Socrates, famously, said “the unexamined life is not worth living” (page 39 of The Apology of Socrates).  How is his discussion of those who fear death, and how he claims to be different from them, an example of how he tried to live an examined life?  How is his discussion of those who fear death, and how he claims to be different from them, an example of what he says the oracle at Delphi meant?

            According to relativism, values are like customs: customs are what most people in a society do most of the time, and so values are what people most people in a society regard as right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust, etc.  For Athens at the time of Socrates – according to Socrates – most people placed highest value on “wealth, reputation, and honors” (page 32).  Socrates criticized them for that.  But that meant that from the point of view of Athenian society and its values, and from the point of view of relativism, Socrates was wrong.

            Next: from the point of view of relativism, if Socrates criticized another culture or society, one that he was not a part of – e.g., Spartan society or Persian society – would Socrates be wrong to criticize them?  If our values are different from those espoused by Socrates, would Socrates be wrong to criticize us?  Please make sure to explain your answers.

            So do you think that Socrates, because he disagreed with the dominant values of Athens, was wrong to criticize his fellow Athenians?  Do you think Socrates would be wrong to criticize us, if our values differed from his?  Please note that here I am asking you whether you agree with relativism or not.