“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Mythos – the conventional story you were told about yourself (you, your family, culture, nation, etc.) and your world and accepted before you were capable of critically considering the stories Logos – rational critique, inquiry, discourse that allows you to examine and evaluate the mythic stories ingrained in you

What if Plato is doing MORE than just recounting the events of Socrates’ trial???? Allegorical Interpretation of The Apology Athens = Understanding of yourself and your world Socrates = inner philosopher/experience/reading/encounter that causes you to call into question your mythic beliefs Accusers of Socrates = parts of you that seek to protect your strongly held/certain beliefs about yourself and your world Youth of Athens = new ideas that you haven’t quite accepted Trial = the moment of philosophical crisis

The point of presenting this allegorical interpretation of the Apology is to help readers confront the fact that if they actually allow their inner philosophers to do his work in their own Athens there are others in their Athens who will attempt to have him put him to death by calling upon the fear that the Athens with which they are familiar may perish. Underlying this struggle is the fear humans have about change, which is a symbolized by the fear of death. The threatened citizens, who uphold the conventional beliefs and values of Athens charge the inner Socrates with false beliefs and values, claim that he will destroy the city if not banished or put to death. The defenders of the status quo realize that the danger he poses is that the youth in Athens (i. e. the newly emerging part of Athens, the inner student, who may someday rule) are shown how to question the mythos that now governs the city and that if the mythos is overturned, the city as it now exists will perish.

Plan in your notebook two lists: Which beliefs, values, ideas are most important to you, are most central to your identity? Where’d you get the ideas? How have you already examined these ideas or have you never done so? In other words – which beliefs, values, ideas is your inner Socrates most likely to target in his questioning? 2. What’s at risk for you personally, academically, philosophically, socially if you allow your inner Socrates to do his work? What relationships would be at risk for you if you change or even abandon these ideas? How would it feel for you to change, abandon or shift your thinking? By Friday at the beginning of class (for a daily grade): Email me a (no more than one page double-spaced) reflection on the two sets of questions above. My email address is Mrsgraeber@gmail.com.