Abstract
Probably the most authentic presentation of the philosophical beliefs and ideas of Socrates is Plato’s Apology, a recreation of his legal defence against charges of impiety and corrupting the young. There, Socrates explained his life’s purpose and method for improving Athens by serving as a gadfly to rouse the people to think critically about what they are doing and choose those ends that conduce to well-being. Socrates claimed to confer a benefit on his community as he confronted leaders and prospective leaders to give account of their knowledge. As a result of these dialogues, Socrates exposed their ignorance and thereby undermined their authority with the people, while at the same time inspiring generations of citizens to undertake critical thinking for themselves.
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© 2013 Jonathan Gosling & Peter Villiers
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Harter, N. (2013). Leadership and Acceptability: Plato and the Odium of Truth. In: Fictional Leaders. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137272751_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137272751_16
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