What does your reading on Plato’s Apology tell us about the ideal Athenian citizen? That
is to say, how does Socrates fit this mold, or not (as the case may be)? Make sure you
have a clear thesis statement, and make your arguments as specific as possible.
In Plato’s apology, the picture of the ‘ideal’ Athenian citizen is painted quite clearly. It is
one that is follows the will of the gods, respects elders and wisemen in society, and follows the
traditions, customs, and ideals of Athens and its citizens. I SHALL ARGUE that Socrates does
not fit this mold, and in fact questions the very nature of the ‘ideal citizen’ which parallels the
state of society today.
In Socrates’ defense, he claims that its foolish to blindly take the word of elder wisemen
as truth without questioning what they’re saying. This sparked anger in the people he was
referring to, but respect from the younger citizens. By shining light on the downfalls of one of the
key traits of the ideal Athenian citizen, he emphasizes the need for recognition and change.
These points are quite interesting as to how similarly they mirror events taking place in society
today. We are now realizing and opening our eyes to the fact that the US isn’t exactly how it is
taught about in school. Rather, it is riddled with people blindly following an idea (whether it be in
the form of a political leader or general mindset), sexism, racism, and a host of other issues.
Similar to Socrates’ Athens, it seems as though the older, more traditional members of our
society are pushing back to this realization the most, while the youth of our society are
embracing it and attempting to make a change.
By demonstrating what the ideal Athenian citizen looks like and calling into question
some of the most prominent ideas and tendencies in their society, by comparing and drawing
connections to modern times it is apparent to readers today that Socrates does not fit this mold.