Socrates the philosopher died in 399 B.C.E. at the age of 70, after being tried and condemned by the city of Athens on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Despite this rough treatment at the hands of his native city, Socrates chose to stay in prison and await his execution. As a citizen, Socrates presents the world with a puzzle; in him we see a man whose commitment to his city, choosing to die by its laws, however unjust his condemnation, is matched only by his disdain for convention and outrage at the moral hubris that accompanies civic actions when fueled by the fear, prejudice, and greed to which all human beings are susceptible.

Socrates spent his life combating these tendencies among his fellow citizens, confronting powerful members of the Athenian citizen body at a time when the democracy flourished and when Athenian might weighed heavily against her neighboring cities. The fifth annual Platsis Symposium will celebrate Socratic citizenship, focusing on the philosopher’s role in providing his fellow citizens with occasions for moral reflection accompanied by self-restraint. Whatever our own notions of citizenship may be, looking once more at the Socratic model,which highlights the role of moral conscience and individual responsibility in the work of the citizen, will perhaps occasion a recommitment for all of us to become more than ordinary citizens.  
~Sara Ahbel-Rappe

Friday, September 29, 2006
Rackham Amphitheatre, 4th floor
915 E. Washington
Ann Arbor, MI

2pm, Performance of Plato’s The Apology of Socrates by Emmy Award Winner Yannis Simonides

Plato’s The Apology of Socrates reenacts Socrates’ defense in the Athenian court and his rebuttals to a guilty verdict and sentence of death. This treatment transports the viewer from ancient times to our contemporary world, and in doing so reaffirms the relevance of Socrates’ thoughts in today's society.

Actor: Emmy Award Winner Yannis Simonides
Director: Broadway Vetran Loukas N. Skipitaris
Costume: Acadamy Award Winner Theoni V. Aldredge
Percossionist: Caryn Heilman
English Translation: Yannis Simonides and Loukas N. Skipitaris

The Apology of Socrates premiered in New York in 2003 and has since been performed to great acclaim at the United Nations, the Athens Agora, the NBC Today Show, and in theatres, schools, universities, libraries and festivals across the United States and Greece.

This project is a collaboration of Mythic Media International and Theatron Inc., both of New York City.

4pm Lectures
Socrates in Athens: the Patron-Saint of Moral Philosophy by Gerasimos Santas,
University of California, Irvine

Socrates on Courage in Politics by Paul Woodruff,
University of Texas, Austin

6pm, Reception

All events are free & open to the public.

The 5th Annual Platsis Symposium is supported by the Arthur and Mary Platsis Fund and co-sponsored by LSA "Citizenship" Theme Year.