Brickhouse and Smith argue, contrary to virtually every modern interpretation of Plato's Apology of Socrates, that Plato's Socrates offers a sincere defence against the charges he faces. In doing so the book offers an exhaustive historical and philosophical interpretation of and commentary on Plato's Apology. The authors demonstrate that Socrates' moral and religious principles prohibit him from needlessly risking a negative vote at his trial. By providing a complete commentary, they show that each specific claim Socrates makes in the Apology can be construed as a sincere attempt to inform the jury of the truth and convince the jurors of his blamelessness. The effect of these two strategies is a novel interpretation of the Apology which sheds new light on various aspects of Socrates' life and philosophy.
| ISBN: | 9780198239383 |
| Publication date: | 24th January 1991 |
| Author: | Thomas C Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, Lynchburg College, Virginia Brickhouse, Nicholas D Assoc Smith |
| Publisher: | Clarendon Press an imprint of Oxford University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 352 pages |
| Series: | Clarendon Paperbacks |
| Genres: |
Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval |