Reviews

Apology by Plato

saadrehman's review

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5.0

Writing a review for classics is almost useless. You cannot hardly say something that hasn't been said before. However, there are those that know me, to whom my familiar and inexpert opinion may matter more than the expert review of a stranger. For those I write. And for myself, for I am among those too.

This is an elementary text for people who need to learn the basics of Philosophy, which is everyone. Socrates not only does teach us how to argue, but also how not to plead innocent. He preferred death over unrighteousness, because he made it clear he was let to live, he would continue to do the same thing.

He teaches us about the importance of doing our duty, even if the cost is death. "For wherever a man's place is, there he ought to remain in the hour of danger; he should not think of death or of anything but of disgrace. And this, O men of Athens, is a true saying"

jbmorgan86's review

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ap·o·lo·gi·a
ˌapəˈlōj(ē)ə/

noun
a formal written defense of one's opinions or conduct.

Plato's Apology is a defense of the martyred Socrates. Plato recounts Socrates trial and defends his hero.

The stand-out passage for me was:

"For if I tell you that this would be a disobedience to a divine command, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that the greatest good of man is daily to converse about virtue, and all that concerning which you hear me examining myself and others, and that the life which is unexamined is not worth living - that you are still less likely to believe. And yet what I say is true, although a thing of which it is hard for me to persuade you."

kirstinin's review against another edition

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2.0

Part 1 of logging the readings from my philosophy class to make me feel better about having to read them. Prediction: I do not think I am going to be a Philosophy Girl

tomasfrydrich's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

wafflelord1's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

henry_michael03's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

sirfrankiecrisp's review against another edition

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I do not think that I know what I do not know

lingosel's review against another edition

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3.0

If one day I’m in a life or death situation, I can only pray to have Socrates’ ability to speak that much in clear logic. Like, I know it's a Plato-revised version of whatever he actually said, but it's still way more logical than what I can argue even when I'm clear headed.

jatinnagpal's review against another edition

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4.0

Great book. Plato is a great writer and rightfully acclaimed so, and Socrates is a good teacher for creating a student that could write his speech just by knowing what he would have said.

(Yes, according to Xenophon, Plato wasn't really present at the speech)

bridgetembooks's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

3.25