Socrate's Accusation of the Jury In Plato's Apology

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intelligence. The orator accomplishes his goal through his choice of words and deliberate lauding of the Athenian people. Socrates' monologue, addressed in large part to the "men of Athens," is more than his legal defense; it is an assessment, trial and test of the jury.
The assessment is made not on moral or ethical grounds, but rather on logical ones. Socrates adamantly and overtly refuses to color his speech with unnecessary rhetorical tools or fluffy language; that would run counter to his beliefs. Because he does ascribe to stringent laws of logic, the burden is on the jury to react to his arguments accordingly. If Socrates does not insert emotional or rhetorical tools, then the jury has no choice but to base their verdict on reason. One of the old accusations against him was that the jury would be "deceived by the force of my eloquence," (17a). Here Socrates is challenging the jury to detect deception in his speech. The orator even comes right out to ask the jury, "Am I ...

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Socrates is.
Socrates challenges the intelligence of the jury when he makes statements that question their understanding of the facts. When he attacks Meletus in the cross-examination, Socrates states, "No one who has a particle of understanding will ever be convinced by you," (27e). Essentially he declares that any jury member with good sense could never believe the false words of Meletus. The verdict of the jury will therefore reflect their ability to discern the truth. Ironically, this is a subtle way to evoke an emotional response in the jury, even though Socrates deplores using emotion in a logical argument. Threatening the intelligence of the jury is a sure way to spark their anger ...

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