Faculty
Panel Discussion
On June 6, 2003, the alumni discussion of Plato’s Apology
of Socrates, which began online in March 2003,
went live with a faculty panel discussing the text
and answering questions from the audience. The
panel discussion was videotaped and can be viewed
by clicking on the links below. You can also read
transcripts (PDFs) of the program.
| Panel Discussion on Plato's Apology
of
Socrates |
| Moderator
Kendall Sharp |
|
|
| Humanities Professor Herman
Sinaiko |
|
|
| Classics Professor Danielle
Allen |
|
|
| Classics Professor Christopher
Faraone |
|
|
|
| Question 1 |
|
Herman Sinaiko responds to a question about Socrates
profession of ignorance. What does Sinaiko make of Socrates's awareness of what
he does not know?
|
|
| Question 2 |
Do human beings
need education in order to become human? Is it possible
for a civilized society to form in the absence of laws?
Herman Sinaiko returns to the issue of education raised
in his opening remarks
|
|
| Question 3 |
|
Danielle Allen
is asked to expand on her remarks about concerns over the
political power of the younger generation in ancient Athens.
|
|
| Question 4 |
|
Could Socrates have swayed a majority
of the jury to his side? One audience member believes that
Socrates would have won his case had he not vowed to continue
doing exactly what had landed him on trial in the first place.
Danielle Allen and Herman Sinaiko discuss the jury's vote and
the possibility of another outcome.
|
|
| Question 5 |
|
Socrates invokes "God" and "the gods" a
number of times in his address to the jury, at times using
language that one audience member describes as vaguely Christian.
What does this say about Socrates's view or religion? Christopher
Faraone responds.
|
|
