The Philosophy of Socrates or Plato in the Apology (Skillshare)

Offered by Skillshare,
The Philosophy of Socrates or Plato in the Apology (Skillshare)

Today, I will give you some insights in the philosophy of Socrates (or Plato, as mentioned in the class) which is used in the Apology. These lessons consist some important quotes of Socrates, his method on conversing with others, his meaning of life, his 'god', and much more.

The Apology is the only work of Plato which is not written in dialogue-form. It should be an oration of Socrates, defending himself in front of the 'down to earth' judges, but even if you think it is, then why does he tell the people to be quiet when he is speaking, not to say their comments out loud? The Apology is full of the secrets of his philosophy.
For the class project, check the work sheet in the attachments!
Let us first delve into a short question. What is the meaning of life to you? This can at first look be an overwhelming question, but I will specify it for you. What do you love so, that you could do/have it at every moment in your life? Think about it for a moment: do you know yourself? γνωθι σεαυτον? Is it the same as for Socrates? Rewatch part 7, the meaning of life and Socrate’s vision on life. What do you think about it? If you do not agree, why? Try to make a scheme for yourself: What is the thing you like most? and why? Then, try to create a text in which you explain why Socrates is wrong and you are right.
If you even want to be more creative, you could do this in a dialogue style. You are talking to Socrates and are having a philosophical conversation. Rewatch part 9, the elenchus method, and try to practice your skills with Socrates himself. You know his vision and you know what he will say, now it is your turn to turn his vision around. Use the worksheet down below.
What will happen after death? What do you think? Rewatch part 7, Socrate’s vision on death, and think about whether it is right or wrong, in your perspective. It is always fun to compare different views on death. Pythagoras had the idea of reincarnation, possibly in an animal (The reason why the pupil of his school did not eat animal flesh). Try for example Christianity, Shinto, Islam, Buddhism,…
Try to compare these in a short text and try to write, draw how your afterlife looks like and share it in the project section.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Intellectual Humility: Practice (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Practice (Coursera)

We live in a polarised world where all too often people talk past each other. But do you know when to believe what others say? For example, how quick should we be to accept something that someone else tells us is true, and what should we be looking out for when assessing a person's trustworthiness? Meanwhile, what should we do when we encounter disagreements with people who seem to be our equals? How and when should we adjust our beliefs, and how does the appropriate response vary depending on the evidence? These challenges may be especially important in the arena of religious disagreements. How should we weigh the evidence for and against various theistic and atheistic stances?

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors (Coursera)

What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Justice (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Justice (edX)

Justice, one of the most famous courses taught at Harvard College, is an introduction to moral and political philosophy, offering an opportunity to discuss contemporary dilemmas and controversies. Taught by lauded Harvard professor Michael Sandel, Justice explores critical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of justice, including discussion of present-day applications.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors (Coursera)

What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is an underlying order to the changing world.

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion (Coursera)

Philosophy, Science and Religion mark three of the most fundamental modes of thinking about the world and our place in it. Are these modes incompatible? Put another way: is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others? Or, are they complementary or mutually supportive? As is typical of questions of such magnitude, the devil is in the details. For example, it is important to work out what is really distinctive about each of these ways of inquiring about the world. In order to gain some clarity here, we’ll be investigating what some of the current leading thinkers in philosophy, science and religion are actually doing.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Designing and Implementing Your Coaching Strategy (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Davis

Designing and Implementing Your Coaching Strategy (Coursera)

In order to be an effective manager in increasingly fast-paced and complex organizational environments, coaching skills to develop and get the best work out of employees has become essential. Throughout the Coaching Skills for Managers specialization, we’ve discussed many topics for improving coaching conversations with our employees. It is now time to put all of that theory and discussion into practice as you solidify your coaching philosophy, develop your coaching practice and agendas, and demonstrate mastery at handling everyday coaching conversations!

Aug 24th 2026
3 Weeks
Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (Coursera)

Build your knowledge of Indo-European languages, how they changed through time, and how to reconstruct ancient languages. Every language belongs to a language family; a group of languages that are genetically related to each other. Indo-European is the name of the language family to which English belongs, along with many sub-families such as Germanic languages and Romance languages.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera)

In this course created by former associate professor at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre, Jon Stewart, we will explore how Kierkegaard deals with the problems associated with relativism, the lack of meaning and the undermining of religious faith that are typical of modern life. His penetrating analyses are still highly relevant today and have been seen as insightful for the leading figures of Existentialism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera)

It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble? Which cognitive dispositions and personality traits give people an edge at being more intellectually humble - and are they stable from birth, learned habits, or something in between? And what can contemporary research on the emotions tell us about encouraging intellectual humility in ourselves and others?

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
活用希臘哲學 (Understanding the Greek Philosophy) (Coursera) Coursera
National Taiwan University

活用希臘哲學 (Understanding the Greek Philosophy) (Coursera)

本課程之教學內容以希臘哲學之發展為主,並輔以哲學對人生意義之說明。希臘哲學是西洋哲學的骨幹,呈現西方人思維的核心理念,不但足以解釋今日之西方世界,甚至可以說明全世界的發展趨勢。本課程以希臘哲學為教學之主幹,分為先蘇哲學、詭辯學派、蘇格拉底、柏拉圖、亞理斯多德五個階段。教學的方式以強調他們之間的不同與相同的部分。課程將以演講的方式進行,揉合日常經驗作說明,並不時地會以整體的角度回頭看希臘哲學在今日哲學與社會所扮演的角色。

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture (Coursera) Coursera
Sungkyunkwan University - SKKU

Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture (Coursera)

This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required. Anybody who either has an interest in Korean culture, maybe through K-Dramas or K-pop, or an interest in philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective, are all welcome.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks