View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Apology, Socrates defends himself specifically from accusations made by___________.

2. Which of the following ideas are not mentioned in Book VI?

3. When he first address the jury, Socrates_________.

4. What is Socrates' view on the nature of death, particularly his own?

5. Socrates believes that unjust men_________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Socrates say in Book VII that "philosophers don't want to rule"?

2. How can tyranny arise in a democratic state?

3. If one cannot live like a philosopher, what does Socrates think he should do?

4. What is the ultimate goal of the philosopher, as explained by Socrates in Book VI? How does he attain this?

5. What should be done about the poets, according to Socrates in Book X?

6. What does the cave metaphor mean?

7. Why does Socrates think that aspiring philosophers should be instructed in dialectic only at the end of their educations?

8. How does Socrates defend against Meletus' chargers of impiety?

9. Why is the tyrannical man the most miserable, according to Socrates?

10. Why does Socrates think that the philosopher is always the happiest man in the state?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Apology Socrates claims quite famously that: "the unexamined life is not worth living." Discuss the ramifications of the statement, and prove its validity in your own words. How might a Sophist try to disprove this assertion? How might Socrates answer these rebuttals?

Essay Topic 2

Many of the dialogues in The Republic take place between Socrates and Glaucon. Whom do you think Plato supports more? Give evidence for your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

The Republic discusses many grandiose themes such as knowledge, friendship, kinship, love, justice, economics, government, and religion at length. Choose a topic, along the same lines, that Plato missed in his dialogues. See if you can argue, based on text you've already read, how Plato or Socrates would weigh in on the issue. You may use current political debates (health care, euthanasia, abortion) as your topic if you desire. You do not need to to this, however.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,183 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample