Apology
The Defence of Socrates
Plato · c. 428 BCE–c. 348 BCE
Socrates on trial for his life, refusing to plead, explaining why he has spent it asking questions: the oracle, the wisdom of knowing that one does not know, and the claim that the unexamined life is not worth living. The shortest route into philosophy there is.
- First published
- after 399 BCE
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Reading time
- About 50 minutes
- Translation
- Benjamin Jowett
Reading time: 11,466 words in Project Gutenberg text #1656, the dialogue only (Jowett's introduction excluded), read at 238 words per minute.
Plato's account of Socrates' speech at his trial in 399 BCE. Jowett's translation (1871).
- the examined life
- courage
- wisdom
- death
Where to read it
- Read free — Standard EbooksPublic domain text, carefully proofread and produced. · checked 11 Oct 2026(opens in a new tab)
- Read free — Project GutenbergPublic domain in the USA; check your local law outside it. · checked 11 Oct 2026(opens in a new tab)
- Read free — WikisourcePublic domain transcription. · checked 11 Oct 2026(opens in a new tab)
Copyright
- Kenya
- Public domain (translator d. 1893)
- United States
- Public domain
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Questions for discussion
What does it mean to live an examined life, practically, in a busy week?
Socrates claims to know only that he does not know. Is that wisdom or rhetoric?
Why does he refuse to beg for mercy? Would you?
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