Describe the concept of the gadfly from Plato’s Apology. What did it mean when Plato had Socrates compare himself to a gadfly? What kind of person is a gadfly? Use the Apology as your guide, and quote it in your essay to strengthen your points. Next, pick someone from history or current times you believe is a gadfly in the tradition of Socrates. Any person will do, but be sure you can make a substantive argument. You must use at least three outside sources, such as books, essays, articles, films, and reliable websites, to show how this person constitutes a Platonic gadfly. Make sure you cite your sources. This is not to be a comprehensive biography of the person. Give a quick background for context, then use your sources to give examples of their social criticism. This means you want to look for primary sources when doing your research, not bland secondary sources that simply present facts, such as encyclopedias. If you need help finding someone, contact me, and I will make suggestions based on your interests (give me something to work with, though; don’t just email me and write “can you find me someone”). Socrates’ criticisms about Athens were substantive, so you want your gadfly to be a substantive person, not someone who seeks attention for its own sake. This has to be someone who has serious points to make about society, and who, like Socrates, acts like a gadfly to make them.
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James Raphael
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Idalia Michael
