Readings of Plato's Apology of Socrates

Defending the Philosophical Life

Readings of Plato's Apology of Socrates
Jacob Howland, Vivil Valvik Haraldsen, Olof Pettersson, Oda E Wiese Tvedt, Arlene Saxonhouse, Kristin Sampson, Knut Agotnes, Gro Rorstadbotten, Hallvard Fossheim
RRP:
NZ$ 100.59
Our Price:
NZ$ 80.47
Paperback
h222 x 155mm - 272pg
11 Feb 2020 US
9781498550017
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
In Plato's Apology of Socrates we see a philosopher in collision with his society-a society he nonetheless claims to have benefited through his philosophic activity. It has often been asked why democratic Athens condemned a philosopher of Socrates' character to death. This anthology examines the contribution made by Plato's Apology of Socrates to our understanding of the character of Socrates as well as of the conception of philosophy Plato attributes to him. The 11 chapters offer complementary readings of the Apology, which through their different approaches demonstrate the richness of thisPlatonic work as well as the various layers that can be discerned in its presentation of Socrates.While the contributions display variety in both topics and angles, they also share common features: An awareness of the importance of the literary aspects of Plato's courtroom drama, as well as a readiness to take into consideration the historical context of the work. Thereby they provide contributions to a manifold understanding of the aims and impact of the work, without losing sight of the philosophical questions that are raised by Socrates' confrontational and unrepentant defense speech. Allowing the character of Socrates to take center stage, the chapters of this volume examine the philosopher in relation to ethics, and to politics and democracy, as well as to the ideology, religion, and virtue shared by the Athenians. Readers will also find reflections on classical Platonic subjects such as the nature of Socratic philosophical inquiry and of philosophy itself, as well as on the notoriously ambiguous relationships between philosophy, sophistry and rhetoric, and their several relationships to truth and justice. The anthology emphasizes and explores the equivocal and sometimes problematic aspects of Socrates as Plato presents him in the Apology, illuminating why the Athenians let the verdict fall as they did, while drawing out problematic features of Athenian society and its reaction to Socrates' philosophic activity, thereby encouraging reflection on the role philosophy can play in our modern societies.
Undergraduates frequently encounter Plato through the Apology. But how does one move from impressions of this exceptional dialogue to philosophical and historical scholarship? This fine anthology, from a 2015 conference in Bergen, Norway, supplies this pedagogical need. The 11 essays survey cruxes of the dialogue that Gro Rorstadbotten (in his essay "Socrates's Telling of the Truth") calls the "point zero," where Plato's Socrates meets his historical counterpart. Most essays problematize Socrates himself. Arlene Saxonhouse sees tensions between democracy and "shameless" speech (parrhesia). Other contributors link Socrates's rhetoric to history. Rorstadbotten reviews the amnesty law that prohibited litigious reference to the atrocities of the oligarchy. Hallvard Fossheim faults Socrates regarding Aristotle's account of virtue-Socrates's cleverness, poverty, and lack of straightforward political engagement compromise practical wisdom. The eminent Paul Woodruff argues that Socrates's exhortation to Athens is strange unless understood as a call to jurors "to examine themselves and live in accordance with human limitations." Such insights supplement those in previous works on either the broader philosophy of Socrates (e.g., Thomas Brickhouse and Nicholas Smith's The Philosophy of Socrates, CH, Jul'00, 37-6200) or on his rhetoric (I. F. Stone's The Trial of Socrates, CH, Nov'88, 26-1493).Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *
Vivil Valvik Haraldsen is lecturer at the University of Bergen.Olof Pettersson is research fellow at Uppsala University.Oda E. W. Tvedt researches history of philosophy at Uppsala University.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781498550017
Published: 11 Feb 2020
Published In: United States
Imprint: Lexington Books
Publisher: Lexington Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 222mm
Width: 155mm
Spine: 19mm
Weight: 386g
Pages: 272

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information

Details of the product above will be automatically included with your enquiry.