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The trial of the Greek philosopher, Socrates, was one of the most controversial trials in recorded history. The outlandish accusations presented by Socrates accusers were cloaked in cleaver speech in order to plot the citizens of Athens against him. The just philosopher knows this, but rather than play the game of his accusers he speaks the truth and this eventually leads to his death. The 500 Athenian "judges" convict Socrates by a narrow margin of 280 to 220, but if I had been on the jury I would have voted him innocent. If I were a member of the Athenian jury I would have acquitted Socrates of the charges placed against him by Meletus, Anytus and Lycon.
The Greek comic poet, Aristiphanes, portrayed Socrates as an atheist in his comedy Clouds, and by doing this many people presume Socrates to be guilty before the trial even begins. The first accusers of Socrates accuse him of being a natural scientist and a sophist. Socrates believed that it was more important for him to address the people who first accused him because they are the people who persecute him in the greatest amount. In his defense to the first charges against him Socrates says: Again I offer the many of u as witnesses, and I maintain that you should tell each other, those of you that have ever heard me conversing - and there are many such among you - tell each other, then if any of you ever heard me conversing about such things, either much or little, and from this you will recognize that the same holds true for other things that the many say about me. But in fact none of these things is so; and if you have heard from anyone that I attempt to educate human beings and make money from it, that is not true either (Plato 66) Socrates poverty is his biggest defense against the charge of being a sophist because the sophists were paid to teach, and if that were the case Socrates would not have been living in poverty. Socrates also absolves himself of the second charge because he acknowledges his ignorance, and it is his quest for knowledge not natural science that leads him to question everything.
The second set of charges stems from the answer that the oracle gives to Chaerephon, a friend of Socrates because the oracle tells Chaerephon that there is no one wiser than Socrates, and this leads him to question all of the men who are said to be wise in order to find out if the prophecy is true. He questioned the politicians, poets and artisans. His questioning humiliated the men he questioned, and this caused many of the elder men of Athens to dislike Socrates. The young men of Athens follow Socrates and they imitate his way of questioning, and in doing this they wear out the elders' patience with Socrates. This leads three men: Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon to charge Socrates with corrupting the young and the introduction of novel gods.
In defense of himself, Socrates, tells the jury that he doesn't corrupt the young because all he does is speak and they come to listen to him, but instead he says that it is his accusers who are guilty of the corruption. Meletus says that the community educates the young men and Socrates disagrees with this argument and he draws a comparison between man and horses when he says: Does it seem to you to be so also concerning horses? That all human beings make them better while one certain one is the corrupter? Or is it wholly opposite to this that one certain one is able to make them better - or very few, those skilled with horses - while the many, if they ever associate with the horses and use them, corrupt them? Socrates then goes on to accuse Meletus of being the corrupter when he says: Of course it is, altogether so, whether you and Anytus deny or affirm it. For it would be great happiness for the young if one alone corrupts them, while the others benefit them.
But in fact, Meletus, you have sufficiently displayed that you never yet gave any thought to the young. And you have made your lack of care apparent, since you have cared nothing about the things for which you bring me in here. Socrates then tells the jury that he would never corrupt any person voluntarily, but it is possible for him to corrupt someone involuntarily. He tells the jury that he should not be punished for his ignorance since he did not hurt anyone out of malice, but instead he should be educated so that he could change his ways. As an advocate of justice he also tells the jury that punishing him would be unjust because he did not commit any crime.
The second charge placed against Socrates was the charge of introducing novel gods that were not those of the Greeks. Socrates uses his questioning skills to falsify the absurd charges that Meletus placed against him. Socrates uses a parallel between man and daimons, and in doing so he gets Meletus to concede that Socrates does believe in a power greater than man. Even though Socrates proves his innocence within the court of law he knows that the truth alone still may not save him because the envy and slander of the many was so prominent around him. Socrates, knowing the likeliness that he would be found guilty compares himself to the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles sacrifices his own life to avenge the life of his friend and Socrates sacrifices his life so that justice might survive.
In doing this he creates a hero that uses his intellect as his sword and justice as his shield. The charges placed against the philosopher were outlandish and the validation of them is purely circumstantial. Socrates should never have been charged for committing any crime; instead the Athenians should have used his intellect for the good of the community. Socrates proclaims his innocence and wins my vote when he says: I offer myself to both the rich and the poor alike for questioning, and if anyone wishes to hear what I have to say, he may answer me. And whether any of them becomes an upright man or not, I would not justly be held responsible, since I have never promised our taught any instruction to any of them. If someone says that he has ever learned from me or heard privately anything that anyone else did not, know well that he does not speak the truth...
I told you the whole truth. It is because they enjoy hearing men examined who suppose they are wise, but are not. For it is unpleasant (Plato 86) Bibliography: Plato, The Apology
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