Write a short essay of around 1000 words answering the following question:
Did Socrates corrupt the young?
(Note that the question here isn’t “was Socrates found guilty of corrupting the young?” Nor is it “did it make sense for the Athenians to think that he corrupted the young?” The question, rather, is whether he really did corrupt the young – did the things he said and did actually have a corrupting influence on young people?)
The importance of this exercise lies not so much in discovering the right answer to the question as in the quality of the arguments you offer in support of your answer. Your paper should have a structure in which those arguments are clearly stated and are shown to be relevant to your answer. Thus it should begin with an introductory paragraph that states the question and clearly indicates what your answer to it is, followed then by a series of paragraphs offering reasons that justify that answer.
But note that it is not only your own position that needs to be discussed: in order to make that position convincing you must consider, and show the weakness of, the opposing position as well. Thus you will need to consider “counter-arguments” — reasons that might be offered either against your position or for an alternative one. You should explain the one or two strongest of these counter-arguments, showing, in each case, why they are wrong (why, that is, they are weaker than your own arguments).
Most important to the paper is clarity and careful organization. As mentioned, your first paragraph should explain exactly what your position is, and summarize why you are taking it. The next paragraphs should explain each of your reasons in more detail, and consider and refute counter-arguments (objections) as necessary. (In general, each reason or objection should receive its own paragraph.) The last paragraph should again summarize your conclusion and your reasons for preferring it to the opposite one.
