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The Judgment of Socrates |
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The purpose of this research is to examine the view that Socrates is guilty in his mission and worthy of pur suit, with reference to the Apology. The plan of the re search will be to set forth the context for judgment of Soc rates and principal line of argument emerging in the Apology and then to discuss how and under what circumstances it can be argued that Athens is justified in condemning him. The context for the Apology is the anticipation of Soc rates's punishment owing to accusations that he "corrupts the youth . . . does not believe in the gods of the State, and has other new divinities of his own" (Apology 12). Soc rates understands that the accusation is a ruse on the part of persons who wish to silence him on account of his social strategy, which is to ask questions of the supposedly wise in order to achieve "such wisdom as is attainable by man" (Apology 8). He draws answers out of others without giving them the answers, yet by exposing the logical problems with their answers he points toward truth, clarity, and under standing. He explains that he sought out politicians, poets, and artisans, who thought that because they were good at their particular profession "they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their wisdom" (Apology 10). Socrates's accusers--representing poets, politicians, artisans, and rhetoricians--deliberately reformulate and mischaracterize his conclusion that after consulting with the supposedly wise he was better
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eir elders will drive me out" (Apology 26).
One does not have to make a case for the merits of the case against Socrates to see that he seems determined to de liberately provoke those who have the power to condemn him. Thus far from agreeing that he is evil, he asserts as a pos i tive value and rare virtue exactly that which provokes the comfortable self-image and stability of Athenian society. In other words, he is not a threat but rather "a sort of gad fly, given to the State by the God,"
and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. And as you will not easily find another like me, I would advise you to spare me. . . . And that I am given to you by God is proved by this: that if I had been like other men, I should not have neglected all my own concerns, or patiently seen the neglect of them during all these years, and have been doing yours, coming to you individually, like a father or elder brother, ex horting you to regard virtue. . . . And I have a wit ness of the truth of what I say; my poverty is a suffi cient witness (Apology 19-20).
Socrates's insistence on being acquitted by reason of his engagement in conversation aimed at virtue yet his equal insistence on
Category: Philosophy - T
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Athens Mele tus, Apology Socrates, , Accordingly Socrates, Athens Athenians, Indeed Socrates, Meletus Socrates, Consider Meletus's, Collier Sons, apology 26, apology 26 socrates's, athens exile, death expose, suffer penalty, apology 7, apology 12, athens accusers, value socrates, theirs apology, accusers suffer,
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