The following questions relate to the online video about ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greece: The Birth of Thinking. This video will help give you some context for Socratess life and an introduction to Platos Apology where we find Socratess defense of himself before the Athenian court. Be sure to answer in complete sentences: Socrates was not a Sophist, although in ancient Greece he was sometimes associated with them. How is Socrates different from the Sophists? What was Socrates?s relationship to Plato? What was Aristotle?s relationship to Plato? Towards the end of the video, the video claims, ?Looking back over Greek philosophy as a whole, an argument could be made that its many branches grew out of Socrates urging to follow the argument wherever it leads.? Give an example from the video of how ?following the argument wherever it leads? influenced ancient Greek philosophy. For Platos Apology answer each of the following questions in complete sentences: What are the three official charges brought against Socrates? What does Socrates think really motivates his prosecutors? Why does Socrates say that he keeps doing what so many dont like, namely walking around Athens questioning people who are supposedly wise? What does his account of the god at Delphi have to do with it? Socrates concedes that he is actually the wisest person in Athensbut only in one crucial respect. What is it? Explain what he means by it. How does Socrates describe his mission to Athens? Explain his analogy with the horse and gadfly. After his conviction, as he is defending his proposed penalty, Socrates makes this claim: I say that the greatest good for man is to fashion arguments each day about virtue and the other things you hear me discussing when I examine myself and others, and that the unexamined life is not worth living for man . . . In light of all that he has said in his defense of himself, explain what Socrates means by this claim.
