Question

\apology\
by plato

i have said enough in my defence against the first class of my accusers. i turn to the second class. they are headed by meletus, that good man and true lover of his country, as he calls himself. against these, too, i must try to make a defence - let their affidavit be read: it contains something of this kind: it says that socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own. such is the charge; and now let us examine the particular counts. he says that i am a doer of evil, and corrupt the youth; but i say, o men of athens, that meletus is a doer of evil, in that he pretends to be in earnest when he is only in jest, and is so eager to bring men to trial from a pretended zeal and interest about matters in which he really never had the smallest interest. and the truth of this i will endeavour to prove to you.

which of the following is the best summary of the excerpt from \apology\ by plato?

• socrates defends against the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.
• socrates confirms the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.
• socrates accuses meletus of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt

The text is an excerpt from Plato's "Apology". Socrates states: "I have said enough in my defence against the first class of my accusers. I turn to the second class. They are headed by Meletus... It says that Socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth, and who does not believe in the gods of the state..." Socrates is clearly presenting his defense against these specific charges.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Socrates defends against the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods." This aligns perfectly with the text where he addresses the affidavit containing these charges and prepares to defend himself.
• Option 2: "Socrates confirms the charges..." This is incorrect because he is defending himself against them, not agreeing with them.
• Option 3: "Socrates accuses Meletus of corrupting the youth..." While Socrates criticizes Meletus, the primary purpose of the excerpt is Socrates defending himself against the formal charges brought against him.

Formulate the final conclusion

The best summary of the excerpt is that Socrates is defending himself against the accusations of corrupting the youth and impiety (not believing in the state's gods).

Answer:

• Socrates defends against the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods. (Correct answer)
• Socrates confirms the chargers of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.
• Socrates accuses Meletus of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.