A) What were the charges brought against Socrates and why was he found guilty by the
jurors and sentenced to death, according to Plato’s dialogue Defence of Socrates (also
known as The Apology of Socrates)? B) Some historians of philosophy claim that in fact
Socrates was convicted and sentenced to death for doing philosophy. According to you
and based on your reading of the above dialogue, is this claim justified? Why or why not?
C) Why, according to W.E.B. Du Bois’ essay “Galileo Galilei,” was Galileo prosecuted
by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church? What was the outcome of that
prosecution? D) Can it be equally claimed that Galileo was condemned by the Church for
doing science? Why or why not? E) What kinds of societies were Socrates’ and Galileo’s
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societies which condemned people for engaging in the search for truth and for new ways
of thinking and understanding reality? F) How different is our society from Socrates’
society concerning intolerance concerning openness to change? G) Is tradition—whether
religious or secular—essentially antagonistic to innovative thinking and practice or to
progress? Defend your answer. H) Can tradition be preserved and coexist in harmony
with innovation and progress? Why or why not? I) Is a government, a society, or a
religious group justified in censoring or limiting access to certain content of school
curriculum, regular media, social media, or films? Defend your answers.
[This set of questions is based primarily on readings a) and b) of Section 1].
P.S.: Please do not write down the above questions in your primary posts when providing
your answers to these questions. Just indicate which parts (A through I) are related to
your respective answers.