The Trial of Socrates: Finding the Root of Reason Madison Prokott College

The four dialogues Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo were all authored by Plato in order to give insight into the trial and death of the famed philosopher Socrates. Each work focuses on a different aspect of Socrates’ personal teachings and ideals, ranging from questions about piety to Socrates’ final musings about an afterlife and death itself. Throughout the dialogues, each statement made by Socrates revolves around practicality and logic. This line of reasoning often results in vague or unresolved questions, as is typical of the Socratic Method. The intention of Socrates was not to provide the answers, but to make his listeners rethink previously held-beliefs and see the error in them.

The dialogues' main focus is Socrates’ trial, as described in Apology. Socrates chooses to address both old and new charges brought against him in order to fully prove his innocence. He is accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and failing to properly pay homage to the gods of the city. Socrates begins to refute these claims by stating, “I know that I have no wisdom.” He could not possibly teach others because he is not wise; Socrates is simply considered wise because he is aware of his own personal limitations while others are “thought...