How does Socrates use irony in the apology?

How does Socrates use irony in the apology?

The irony is the incongruity in Socrates’ ignorance leading the questioning of citizens thought wise. Socrates believes he acts as a provocative stimulus to arouse drowsy, apathetic people to realize that they do not know themselves and moreover do not know what they claim to know.

What is ironic in Socrates claims in the first two paragraphs of Plato’s Apology?

He argues that Socrates ironically implies that he does not intend to speak haphazardly and honestly after all. Socrates does not win an acquittal, nor does he intend to. According to Leibowitz, Socrates deliberately provokes his judges into condemning him (155).

What is ironic about Socrates?

Socratic irony is when you pretend to be ignorant to expose the ignorance or inconsistency of someone else. Socrates was a famous Greek philosopher known for his probing questions. Socratic irony involves pretending to be ignorant to show someone else is ignorant: thus, the irony.

What are Socrates main points in apology?

Specifically, the Apology of Socrates is a defence against the charges of “corrupting the youth” and “not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel” to Athens (24b).

How did Socrates apologize?

Thus, in The Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and his conduct–certainly not to apologize for it. For the most part, Socrates speaks in a very plain, conversational manner. This is the only instance in The Apology of the elenchus, or cross-examination, which is so central to most Platonic dialogues.

What is the main idea of the Apology by Plato?

The main idea of Plato’s Apology is that the judges who condemned Socrates to death, and the climate of opinion in Athens that led to the charges against Socrates, were unjust and untrue. In the Apology, Plato argues that Socrates, not the judges and not Athens, represent the truth.

Why is the apology of Socrates important?

The Apology, which was written by Plato, is undeniably one of the most important writings on Socrates’ speech that he gave at his trial. Socrates was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth. Socrates was not only defending himself, but was also defending his conception of philosophy.

How did Socrates defend himself in the apology?

Socrates now turns from his old accusers to his new ones, those who have brought him to trial. In order to defend himself against these charges, Socrates calls on Meletus, his principal accuser, and interrogates him in the familiar form of the elenchus, or cross-examination. …

Why is Socrates relevant today?

His determination to only accept the absolute truth with reasoning make him the first clear person in critical philosophy. Over the centuries and even today a lot of decisions are made under emotional judgement rather than reasoning.

What is the main theme of the apology?

The central theme of the dialogue is wisdom. After having spent a lifetime trying to answer the question himself, Socrates is brought to trial for corrupting the young, disbelieving in the gods that the city believed in, and teaching others to believe in new spiritual things.

What is meant by Socratic irony?

Socratic irony is a particular device often used in rhetoric in which one person pretends to be ignorant about an issue to lure the other person into explaining it.

What is irony in the Socratic method?

Socratic irony is a technique used in the Socratic method of teaching. Irony is a communication technique employed when someone says something that conveys a message that contradicts the literal words.

What are the 3 types of irony and examples?

Examples of Irony: There are three types of irony: Situational Irony-where actions or events have the opposite result from what is expected or what is intended. Verbal Irony-where someone says the opposite of what they really mean or intend; sarcasm is a particularly biting form of verbal irony.

What is the summary of the Apology of Socrates?

Apology: Summary. Plato’s The Apology is an account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates’ speech, however, is by no means an “apology” in our modern understanding of the word.