The argumentative paper should be about five pages, double-spaced, in 12 or 14 font with standard margins. Adhere to the MLA Style Manual. Remember the title of a book like the Apology should be underlined or printed in italics. Put your name on every page of your paper. Pretend you are on the jury. Would you find Socrates guilty or not guilty? WHY? Read over the dialogue and background sheet carefully. Consider the four charges and how he answers each one. Don''t get lost in the other details of the story. It''s easy to do because Plato was the best writer of the ancient Greek world. There are at least two ways to write a paper of this sort. One way is the narrative style. That is where you tell the story of the Apology. This is a dangerous way because most students who use this style end up getting lost in the details of the story and forgetting about some or all of the four charges. A better way is the topic approach. This is where you list the four charges, give Socrates’ response to each one, give your verdict, and your reasons for it. After you’ve done that, you can bring in other material from the story if you wish. Here are some common mistakes I have seen over the years: Socrates was a Christian, Why? Because he uses the word "god". Sure he was! He lived in 400 B. C.!! As far as we know, he believed in many gods. Ignore one or more of the FOUR charges, usually the physicist charge Collapse the physicist charge into the god charge. Just give his general defense of his life style and not his specific defense of each charge. Ignore the background sheet I make available. Refer to Socrates as "Plato". Make your paper just a succession of quotes from the Apology. I know what the dialogue says. I want to know what you say. Plagiarize (copy) your paper from someone else. Be uncritically ethnocentric. Assume what is true and valuable today in America was so in ancient Athens. Use autobiography as a reason. For example, "I think Socrates was innocent because I was raised a Christian and he believed in God and so was a good, God fearing man." Autobiography is irrelevant. The next student was raised a Hindu or atheist, so who is right? Autobiography is too idiosyncratic (look it up). In philosophy and science, we need public reasons. The paper is dueJune 28 at 11:55 p. m.. Get it in on time or you will lose five points for every late day. A recommended book but not required book, is I. F. Stone, The Trial of Socrates. If you use it, don’t get confused. Follow my handouts first and foremost.