《苏格拉底的申辩》导读

“Apology of Socrates”

《苏格拉底的申辩》作为唯一一篇柏拉图在其中充当角色的对话,是从名声、“名号”展开讨论的。其中的苏格拉底形象更关注长期名声,他矛盾的言语或许是为了将潜在信息传递给柏拉图。在回应指控时,他提及了一项早先的诬蔑-指控,进而处理了美勒托斯等人对自己不敬神、引进新的具有神性的事物和败坏青年的指控。其间,苏格拉底谈及指控与“德尔斐”考察之间的关系,他表明自己仅拥有无知之知。此外,他还强调了“道德”问题:何为高贵与善。通过将高贵重新阐释为捍卫权利和公正的意愿,苏格拉底的申辩词将高贵置于正义之上。而后,他讨论了“神性预兆”,并暗示哲学和政治共同体之间的冲突无法解决。

“Apology of Socrates”,as the only dialogue in which Plato has chosen to include himself as a character,starts with the discussion of reputation or“name”.The image of Socrates is more focused on a longer term reputation,and his contradictory speech may be intended to convey potential information to Plato.In response to the accusation,he mentioned an earlier slander-charge,and then he dealt with the charge made by Meletus and others about his disrespect for not believing in the gods,introducing new daimonic things,and corrupting the young.In it,Socrates referred to the relationship between the accusations and the“Delphic”investigation,stating that he only had the awareness of ignorance.In addition,he also emphasized the“moral”matters:what is noble and good.By reinterpreting nobility as the willingness to defend the right and the righteous,Socrates'defense puts nobility above justice.Finally,he discussed“daimonion”and hinted that the conflict between philosophy and the political community could not be eliminated.