Apology
In the dialogue of the Apology, I see the narrative of Socrates
and his relation to the god proceeding in three phases. In Phase I, Socrates’ god-relation begins
when his friend Chaerephon (21a) inquires of the oracle at Delphi whether or
not anyone is wiser (than Socrates).
When the oracle responds no, Socrates is quite perplexed. Having a strong sense of his own ignorance,
he is unable to understand what the oracle means, and he sets out to solve the
riddle by systematically examining the politicians, poets, and craftsmen. There
are number of fascinating things going on here.
First, I find it quite interesting that Socrates believes a message from the oracle, although he heard it secondhand. This demonstrates a kind of piety that is
already present in Socrates even prior to hearing this word from the god. Socrates reminds me of David in 1 Samuel 30,
who inquires of the ephod (the high priest), and unlike Paul, he mustn't be
struck down with blindness and hear a voice from heaven. Socrates, the most notorious of questioners, doesn't
respond with skepticism, or attempt to question or explain the oracle away because
of its improbability. Rather, he assumes the oracle “does not lie” (21b), and
that he must seek the truth in the matter.
There is a faith Socrates holds already in the face of reason. Although there is a strand of defiance, as he
sets out to prove the oracle wrong, Socrates is nonetheless operating under a
certain kind of proto-faith in his response.
In Phase II, Socrates’ relation to the god undergoes a kind
of transformative moment (or should we call it a conversion moment?) where he
comes to a self understanding of what he believes to be the oracle’s message
(see 23a-b). Here Socrates interprets the
oracle as saying that “human wisdom is worth little or nothing” – i.e the
wisdom of the sophists, how to gain power, wealth, etc (See also, 29e) – and that
because Socrates realizes this kind of wisdom is worthless, it makes him wisest
of all. Although he does not describe it
in detail, this new interpretation of the oracle makes Socrates believe that
the god has called him to the life of philosophy (28e) in order to “examine
others” and “reproach those who attach little importance to the most important
things” (30). It would be hard not to
describe this as a kind of religious self-understanding, as Socrates is willing
to subjugate everything else –even living in poverty and neglecting his sons –
in order to fulfill what he believes is his calling.
In Phase III, the narrative progresses further, where I would
argue that Socrates portrays himself as prophet. Socrates says that the god has ‘attached’ him
to the city of Athens as a kind of gadfly (SK scholars might make a connection
to Kierkegaard’s own self understanding as a gadfly here!). Although Socrates questions individuals, his
vocation has become similar to a prophet, as he is responsible for proclaiming
a message of virtue for the people of the city (31b-c). In 39c, after he is sentenced to death, he
makes an official prophesy, that vengeance will come upon those who killed him
(for those interested, see David’s prophesy at the end of his life in 2 Samuel
23), and ultimately his death is cast in the light of a martyr’s death. He was killed for speaking a call to the
virtuous life into a people that did not want to hear it.
In Cooper’s introduction to the Apology, he seems to
question the sincerity of “Plato’s Socrates in claiming a pious motivation for
his philosophical work.” If Socrates
relation to the God is at all accurately captured by what I describe, I don’t
see don’t see the evidence that supports his suspicion of Plato’s piety.
