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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways—I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."
So, here is a guy who says that truth is worth dying for and stand by the principle till the end. The word 'apology' is used in sense of its ancient meaning 'defense'. By choosing not to ask for exile, Plato was able to establish righteousness of his ways and thus stayed true to meaning of the word philosopher - 'lover of wisdom'. He argues that we can never know anything and wisdom lies in awareness of this ignorance. Humbleness is not among his many virtues and he is not above saying (rightly enough) that society stands to lose more from his death than he himself. Besides presenting his defense, he makes a few prophecies which have all come true.
So, here is a guy who says that truth is worth dying for and stand by the principle till the end. The word 'apology' is used in sense of its ancient meaning 'defense'. By choosing not to ask for exile, Plato was able to establish righteousness of his ways and thus stayed true to meaning of the word philosopher - 'lover of wisdom'. He argues that we can never know anything and wisdom lies in awareness of this ignorance. Humbleness is not among his many virtues and he is not above saying (rightly enough) that society stands to lose more from his death than he himself. Besides presenting his defense, he makes a few prophecies which have all come true.
michinio's review against another edition
3.0
[English version below]
მრჩება შთაბეჭდილება, რომ ნამდვილი(!) ცოდნა, ჭეშმარიტი სინათლე მაინც კი არსებობს სადღაც იქ... მაგრამ ეს ცოდნა არა აქვს სოკრატეს (თუმცა მასში მაინც იგრძნობა სითბო და ნათელი), და აი ნაღდად არა აქვს პლატონს. ამ ტექსტის კითხვისას მქონდა გრძნობა, რომ თუ არსებობს კიდეც რაიმე წყარო, თუნდაც წიგნი სადაც ეს ცოდნა მოიძევება, აპოლოგია არის იმ სხვა წიგნის მე-17 გამოცემის მე-6 აპენდიქსის კომენტარებზე დამატების ინტერპრეტაციის მიმოხილვაზე ერთ-ერთ ლექცია.
ოღონდ ესაა მთლიანი აპოლოგიის მცირე ნაწილი, ხოლო ყველაფერი დანრჩენი არის ძალიან მტკიცე, კარგად არგუმენტირებული, ოსტატურად ჩამოყალიბებული ბლა-ბლა-ბლა...
The impression is that the REAL knowledge and wisdom is still somewhere there... but definitely not in Socrates (though he's bit closer) and DEFINITELY not in Plato. Because in this text I had an impression of reading the interpretation of the review of the interpretation of the comments on the addendum to the 6th appendix to the 17th revision of the other book with the real knowledge.
Anything else - very sound, well-argued, masterfully conducted bla-bla-bla...
მრჩება შთაბეჭდილება, რომ ნამდვილი(!) ცოდნა, ჭეშმარიტი სინათლე მაინც კი არსებობს სადღაც იქ... მაგრამ ეს ცოდნა არა აქვს სოკრატეს (თუმცა მასში მაინც იგრძნობა სითბო და ნათელი), და აი ნაღდად არა აქვს პლატონს. ამ ტექსტის კითხვისას მქონდა გრძნობა, რომ თუ არსებობს კიდეც რაიმე წყარო, თუნდაც წიგნი სადაც ეს ცოდნა მოიძევება, აპოლოგია არის იმ სხვა წიგნის მე-17 გამოცემის მე-6 აპენდიქსის კომენტარებზე დამატების ინტერპრეტაციის მიმოხილვაზე ერთ-ერთ ლექცია.
ოღონდ ესაა მთლიანი აპოლოგიის მცირე ნაწილი, ხოლო ყველაფერი დანრჩენი არის ძალიან მტკიცე, კარგად არგუმენტირებული, ოსტატურად ჩამოყალიბებული ბლა-ბლა-ბლა...
The impression is that the REAL knowledge and wisdom is still somewhere there... but definitely not in Socrates (though he's bit closer) and DEFINITELY not in Plato. Because in this text I had an impression of reading the interpretation of the review of the interpretation of the comments on the addendum to the 6th appendix to the 17th revision of the other book with the real knowledge.
Anything else - very sound, well-argued, masterfully conducted bla-bla-bla...
chou520's review against another edition
4.0
maybe it’s ok that socrates was forced to commit suicide because we got the soul crushingly lovely line ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ out of it
athousandgreatbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways - I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows.
Thus ends Apology, Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates at his trial. Having been accused of "corrupting the youth of Athens, speculating about the heavens above and searching into the earth beneath, and making the worse appear the better cause", Socrates lays out his defence in typical 'Socratic' fashion, by questioning and probing the intentions of the accusers and revealing the ignorance and malice that drives their accusations.
As he systematically dismantles the charges against him, old and new, made by a class of men that hide in the faceless masses, Socrates reveals the true corruption of the statesmen and those in positions of affluence and authority, cocooned in the radical democracy of their time. For they had relinquished their pursuit of virtue and given in to the power and comfort of their office, the accusers clothed their discontent in popular antagonism, charging him with impiety, and moral corruption of the youth.
Knowing full well what his speech might lead to Socrates continues his charge against the accusers, turning their own accusations against them. The man had every chance to bite the bullet and capitulate and save his own skin. But history would have been quite different if he had. All the riches of the world, the long years, and feigning of wisdom would not undo the wrong that he knows is wrong. "For the penalty of unrighteousness is swifter than death."
Socrates was called the wisest of all by the Oracle of Delphi. But Socrates being Socrates, knowing that he didn't know anything, tried to prove the Oracle wrong. That was one argument, he conceded later, he, unfortunately, couldn't refute. O, Socrates, and how you paid the price for it! Willingly and with aplomb.
Thus ends Apology, Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates at his trial. Having been accused of "corrupting the youth of Athens, speculating about the heavens above and searching into the earth beneath, and making the worse appear the better cause", Socrates lays out his defence in typical 'Socratic' fashion, by questioning and probing the intentions of the accusers and revealing the ignorance and malice that drives their accusations.
As he systematically dismantles the charges against him, old and new, made by a class of men that hide in the faceless masses, Socrates reveals the true corruption of the statesmen and those in positions of affluence and authority, cocooned in the radical democracy of their time. For they had relinquished their pursuit of virtue and given in to the power and comfort of their office, the accusers clothed their discontent in popular antagonism, charging him with impiety, and moral corruption of the youth.
Knowing full well what his speech might lead to Socrates continues his charge against the accusers, turning their own accusations against them. The man had every chance to bite the bullet and capitulate and save his own skin. But history would have been quite different if he had. All the riches of the world, the long years, and feigning of wisdom would not undo the wrong that he knows is wrong. "For the penalty of unrighteousness is swifter than death."
Socrates was called the wisest of all by the Oracle of Delphi. But Socrates being Socrates, knowing that he didn't know anything, tried to prove the Oracle wrong. That was one argument, he conceded later, he, unfortunately, couldn't refute. O, Socrates, and how you paid the price for it! Willingly and with aplomb.
afeednazir's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
3.5