Platos Apology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Platos Apology - Assignment Example Chaerephon, Socrates’ loyal friend went to the oracle and inquired the god Apollo if there was anyone wiser than Socrates; the Oracle’s answer was none. Socrates took this as a riddle and wanted to solve the paradox that an ignorant could be the wisest. And so this was his divine mission in light of the Oracle of Delphi’s pronouncement. The Socratic Method or the Elenchus is a Socratic technique of exposing false beliefs and eliciting the truth. It is a discussion or dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). It typically involves two speakers discussing a central issue by a series of questions, one leading the discussion and the other answering the questions or agreeing to certain assumptions laid before him for his acceptance or rejection. The best way to win in the discussion or debate is to make the opponent contradict himself in a way that proves the point of the inquirer. In the dialogue Euthyphro, this method is manifested in the main part of the dialogue which is the argument of the definition of piety. Here Socrates asks Euthyphro to put forth a definition of piety which Socrates rejected because it was not a definition but an example of piety. The second definition by Euthyphro was criticized by Socrates. The third definition by Euthyphro was an amendment from the second. Here Socrates made Euthyphro contradict himself without him realizing. Socrates often used the Elenchus in bringing out insufficiencies and contradictions of the opinion of others.