In The Apology, we only get to hear the speeches of Socrates. For this paper imagine that you are one of Socrates’ accusers and explain why Socrates is guilty of the charges against him — corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods of the city.

In The Apology, we only get to hear the speeches of Socrates. For this paper  imagine that you are one of Socrates’ accusers and explain why Socrates is guilty of the charges against him — corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods of the city.

If you like, you can pretend that you are writing the speech they give in the trial, but if you are not comfortable with that, you can write a more traditional paper – but still, explain why Socrates is guilty.

Clarity: The paper should have a clear thesis or position that is precisely stated, avoiding vague terms and over-generalizations. Bad grammar is inherently unclear! Even though our topics are somewhat ‘imaginative’ you should still have a thesis.

2) Evidence: The paper should provide evidence for the thesis. This evidence will bedrawn from the texts discussed, from philosophical arguments, or from things learned in other classes. The paper should show an understanding of both the text and the broader philosophical issues raised in the text. Misunderstanding the text, or misquoting it, means that one does not have evidence!

3) Organization: The argument of the paper will be well organized, moving in an orderly fashion from premises to conclusion without gaps or jumps. The paper will not wander away from its central thesis, nor will it get bogged down in secondary issues. If the reader cannot follow your argument, the paper is disorganized!