SOCRATESSOCRATES

““THE UNEXAMINED LIFE THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING.” IS NOT WORTH LIVING.”

FROM THE FROM THE APOLOGYAPOLOGY

SOCRATESSOCRATES

469-399 BC469-399 BC FROM ATHENSFROM ATHENS FOUGHT IN THE PELOPONNESIAN WARFOUGHT IN THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR TEACHERTEACHER SOCRATIC METHOD- QUESTIONING AND SOCRATIC METHOD- QUESTIONING AND

SELF-CRITICISMSELF-CRITICISM PLATO WAS HIS PUPIL AND RECORDED PLATO WAS HIS PUPIL AND RECORDED

SOCRATES’ PHILOSOPHICAL IDEASSOCRATES’ PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS

PHILOSOPHICAL IDEASPHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS“THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT “THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT

WORTH LIVING.” WORTH LIVING.” BELIEVED IN A UNIVERSAL TRUTHBELIEVED IN A UNIVERSAL TRUTH BELIEVED THAT LIFE WAS TO BE LIVED IN BELIEVED THAT LIFE WAS TO BE LIVED IN

THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOMWISDOM

MORAL EXCELLENCE AND VIRTUE WERE MORAL EXCELLENCE AND VIRTUE WERE TO BE THE MAIN GOALS OF ONE’S LIFETO BE THE MAIN GOALS OF ONE’S LIFE

REASON WOULD BE THE GUIDE REASON WOULD BE THE GUIDE

HISTORICAL CONTEXTHISTORICAL CONTEXT

THE LOSS OF ATHENS TO SPARTA THE LOSS OF ATHENS TO SPARTA DURING THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR DURING THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR WAS A BLOW TO THE CONFIDENCE WAS A BLOW TO THE CONFIDENCE OF ATHENIAN POWER OF ATHENIAN POWER

ATHENS WAS LOOKING FOR SOME ATHENS WAS LOOKING FOR SOME EXPLANIATION FOR THIS DEFEATEXPLANIATION FOR THIS DEFEAT

SOCRATES BECAME THE SCAPEGOATSOCRATES BECAME THE SCAPEGOAT

ATHENIAN COURTSATHENIAN COURTS

CHAOTICCHAOTIC ACCUSED PERSON HAD TO ACT AS ACCUSED PERSON HAD TO ACT AS

HIS OWN ATTORNEYHIS OWN ATTORNEY JURIES WERE EXTREMELY LARGE JURIES WERE EXTREMELY LARGE

(SOCRATES’ JURY WAS OVER 500)(SOCRATES’ JURY WAS OVER 500) JURY DECIDED THE PENALTYJURY DECIDED THE PENALTY JUDGMENT WAS IMMEDIATEJUDGMENT WAS IMMEDIATE

SOCRATES’ TRIAL WAS HELD IN SOCRATES’ TRIAL WAS HELD IN THE AGORA OF ATHENSTHE AGORA OF ATHENS

AGORAAGORA

AGORAAGORA

CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST SOCRATESSOCRATES

CORRUPTING THE YOUNG MEN OF CORRUPTING THE YOUNG MEN OF ATHENS ATHENS • CONSTANT QUESTIONINGCONSTANT QUESTIONING• CHALLENGING ATHENIAN VALUES CHALLENGING ATHENIAN VALUES

FAILING TO BELIEVE IN THE “GODS” FAILING TO BELIEVE IN THE “GODS” OF ATHENS AND BELIEVING IN NEW OF ATHENS AND BELIEVING IN NEW “GODS AND SPIRITS”“GODS AND SPIRITS”

MAJOR ISSUES THAT SOCRATES MAJOR ISSUES THAT SOCRATES ADDRESSED DURING HIS TRIALADDRESSED DURING HIS TRIAL

WHAT IS WISDOM?WHAT IS WISDOM? WHAT IS JUSTICE?WHAT IS JUSTICE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE A WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE A

GOOD LIFE?GOOD LIFE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CARE FOR WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CARE FOR

ONE’S SOUL?ONE’S SOUL? WHAT IS TRUTH?WHAT IS TRUTH?

SOCRATES WAS FOUND GUILTY SOCRATES WAS FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DEATHAND SENTENCED TO DEATH

HEMLOCKHEMLOCK

SEEDSSEEDS VIALSVIALS

THE DEATH OF SOCRATESTHE DEATH OF SOCRATES

SOCRATES AS THE NEW SOCRATES AS THE NEW HUMAN BEINGHUMAN BEING

SOCRATES REDEFINED WHAT IT WAS SOCRATES REDEFINED WHAT IT WAS TO BE A HUMAN BEINGTO BE A HUMAN BEING

HUMAN BEINGS WERE TO BE HUMAN BEINGS WERE TO BE • VIRTUOUSVIRTUOUS• MORALMORAL• SELF-CRITICALSELF-CRITICAL• RATIONALRATIONAL• EXCELLENTEXCELLENT• WISEWISE

MORAL VIRTUE MORAL VIRTUE REPLACED THE HEROIC REPLACED THE HEROIC

WARRIOR OF HOMERWARRIOR OF HOMER

EMPIRES OF THOUGHT EMPIRES OF THOUGHT WOULD BE THE LEGACY OF WOULD BE THE LEGACY OF

ATHENS (GREEKS) ATHENS (GREEKS)