Brickhouse and Smith argue, contrary to virtually every modern interpretation of Plato's Apology of Socrates, that Plato's Socrates offers a sincere defence against the charges he faces. In doing so the book offers an exhaustive historical and philosophical interpretation of and commentary on Plato's Apology.The authors demonstrate that Socrates' moral and religious principles prohibit him from needlessly risking a negative vote at his trial. By providing a complete commentary, they show that each specific claim Socrates makes in the Apology can be construed as a sincere attempt to inform the jury of the truth and convince the jurors of his blamelessness. The effect of these two strategies is a novel interpretation of the Apology which sheds new light on various aspects of Socrates' life and philosophy.
Brian Vickers, Zurich; founding President of the International Society for the History of Rhetoric) Vickers, Brian (Professor of English and Renaissance Literature, Professor of English and Renaissance Literature, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
H. C. G. Matthew, Oxford) Matthew, H. C. G. (late Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford, and Fellow, late Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford, and Fellow, St Hugh's College
J. L. Austin, University of Oxford) Austin, J. L. (late White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, late White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, J. I. Austin, J. O. Urmson, G. J. Warnock, Geoffrey J. Warnock, James O. Urmson
Ellen T. Harris, University of Chicago) Harris, Ellen T. (Chairman of the Music Department and Professor of Music, Chairman of the Music Department and Professor of Music
Will Kymlicka, Carleton University) Kymlicka, Will (Research Director, Canadian Centre for Philosophy and Public Policy, University of Ottawa; Visiting Professor, Department of Philosophy, Research Director, Canadian Centre for Philosophy and Public Policy, University of Ottawa; Visiting Professor, Department of Philosophy
J�zsef D�nes, A. Donald Keedwell, Hungary) Denes, J. (Industrial and Scientific Consultant, Formerly Head of Mathematics, Institute for Research and Co-ordination of Computing Techniques (SZKI), Budapest, UK) Keedwell, A. Donald (Department of Mathematical and Computing Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, József Dénes, J. Denes, A. D. Keedwell