Making a Philosopher a Hero:

Rhetoric of “Digression” in Plato’s Apology of Socrates

Abstract

Focusing on the part of the “digression” in Plato’s Apology of Socrates, this article analyzes Socrates’ explanation of his philosophical activity before the public. Although scholars have had different interpretations as to whether Socrates’ sincere intention was to be acquitted or to proclaim philosophical truth at the risk of capital punishment, they almost all share the view that Socrates was sentenced to death because of a discrepancy between philosophy and politics: ordinary people simply could not understand him. Against the general view, this article argues that Socrates attempted to make himself a hero by using the traditional value system of the city. By identifying himself with the Greek traditional hero, Achilles, Socrates improved the image of philosophy in people’s minds, making it acceptable to them where it hadn’t been before. This argument should be the basis of the reinterpretation of the Apology as a whole, and would contribute to the study of the origin of Western political thought, especially the idea of the philosopher kings.