Monday, November 24, 2025

Plato's Apology of Socrates (~390 BC) translated by Benjamin Jowett Pt 3

  The Apology

Bonus: 

Socrates needs to stop whining and start doing.

Summary: Socrates is a lazy asshole, but he kind of has a point.

Commentary: The last chunk of Socrates's defense has two main points:

1. Why doesn't Socrates become a politician/advisor if he's going to go around trying to "not teach" people all day.

This is a fair point, and I'd point Socrates to the sections in Fruits of Solitude on discipline. He talks about a voice that tells him not to do stuff. Most decent philosophy talks about how to not listen to that voice, but whatever, he's Socrates.

2. If he's corrupting the youth so much, why aren't the older youths that I corrupted and/or parents complaining about him?

Assuming this is true, and all the criticism is being made by the same couple guys, a fair point. I don't know if that is true though. 

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Plato's Apology of Socrates (~390 BC) translated by Benjamin Jowett Pt 3

   The Apology Bonus:  Socrates needs to stop whining and start doing. Summary: Socrates is a lazy asshole, but he kind of has a point. Comm...