Another Apology of Socrates

Another Defense of Socrates

Plato’s Symposium and Republic are both continuations of Plato’s defense of Socrates in the Apology. The allegory of the cave, Diotima’s speech, and the speech of Alcibiades all offer responses to the charges brought against Socrates in the Apology. They all add to the refutations made in the Apology to Socrates’ accusers by further explaining why Socrates is so intent of gaining wisdom and interrogating people and disproving the charge that Socrates is a corrupter of youth.
The allegory of the cave is a defense of Socrates by explaining why Socrates continues interrogating even though he is being charged. The man that is able to escape from the cave symbolizes Socrates. Socrates has symbolically been able to escape from the cave and understand things that the prisoners, or Socrates’ accusers, cannot. While reading the allegory of the cave, the reader comes to admire the man, or Socrates. Therefore those who are reading are mea...