The Life, Death, and Legacy of Socrates

Catalog description

This seminar examines Socrates’ life, thought, and legacy, focusing on his trial and execution within the political turmoil of Athens from 431–399 BCE. Students will explore primary texts (Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes, Sophocles) and historical sources (Thucydides, Plutarch) alongside secondary readings. Key themes include democratic decline, philosophical responses to freedom, and comparisons of Socrates’ trial to the arrest and execution of Jesus.