Socrates focuses a large amount of time during his defense examining the motives for which he has been charged. Although all of the accusations and the terms that relate to them are clear to Socrates, he is unclear as to how they relate to his actions. In this process, he examines both the early accusations as well as the later ones. This is an important position in his defense, it explains how his reputation has been formed and that general prejudices have been created against him. These prejudices make it difficult for Socrates to influence men as to what wisdom really is. It is the earlier accusations that concern him the most as they surrounded his name for many years. “These earlier ones, however, are more so, gentlemen; they got hold of most of you from childhood, persuaded you and accused me quite falsely, saying that there is a man called Socrates, a wise man, a student of all things in the sky and below the earth, who makes the worse argument the stronger.” (Apology, 18b). More simply, Socrates has been accused of being both a physicalist and a sophist. Many of the members of the jury as with others, have been persuaded throughout their lives that Socrates does not speak of the truth. Socrates finds this very difficult to defend as he would be required to “uproot” from their minds, years of slander that has been continuously placed their. (Apology, 19a). This leaves him with little or no defense and as he says, “one must simply fight with shadows…” (Apology, 18d). The false images of Socrates arose because people misunderstood his true activity. In his best attempt to defend himself against these first charges and the slander that followed his name, he explains his story of the Delphic Oracle. From his activities, he learns that it is wisdom that has been the cause of his reputation. In attempting to investigate the oracle’s meaning, Socrates angers many men. ...
