Socrates and Social Justice

In this class, we examine whether Socrates is a model for social justice. Socrates presents a complicated figure regarding issues of political action and social justice. Some view Socrates as a champion of liberty and individual conscience. Others see him as quiescent when Athenian democracy needed defenders or, even worse, allied with those who undermined democracy. By reading relevant selections from Plato in conjunction with contemporary scholarship, we will decide for ourselves whether Socrates is an exemplar of social justice.