Context - What is going on here?

1.  Who was Socrates and what was his relationship to Plato?  When in history does this trial take place?

2.  Where is Socrates on trial and what is he on trial for? - What are the two charges against him? - distinguish between the "old" and "new" charges.

•     Who were the Sophists? - why are they a threat?

•     Who was Anytus and what were his motives for charging Socrates?

•     Who was Meletus and what were his motives for charging Socrates?

•     Who was Lycon and what were his motives for charging Socrates?

3.  Why does the established government fear Socrates?

4.  Who would be the counterparts of Anytus, Meletus and Lycon in our society or government?

5.  What charges nade by some of our leaders would be similar to these charges?

6.  Socrates describes himself as a "gadfly" to the state (p. __ ).  What do you think he means by this?  Who are our "gadflies"?

7.  Socrates seeks to verify his own wisdom (or lack of it) by talking to others who have been deemed wise.
     In what ways does he find them deficient (or lacking) wisdom?  What point is he trying to make?

8.  Pages ___, address the theme of Principia when Socrates states that ". . . the life which is unexamined is not worth living".
     What do you think he means by this?

9.  As his final request, Socrates asks that his friends "punish" or "trouble" his sons.  How do you interpret this?

10.  What are we to learn about a liberal arts education from this text?
 

Visit the website at:  http://socrates.clarke.edu/aplg0100.htm for background and context