Is Socrates Guilty as Charged free essay sample

The new accusers, Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon have accused Socrates of corrupting the youth of Athens. This was a sad attempt by the government to avoid conflict. The government was scared that the youth would realize that we are not virtuous. The government is not virtuous, but they try to keep it quiet instead of looking for a new way to find the answers, as Socrates did. Socrates was trying to figure out what virtue is and instill it in the youth. Meno informed us of that. Meno had a conversation with Socrates about the definition of virtue. Socrates said that he never met anyone who could define virtue, but was challenging Meno to come up with the definition. He also challenged Meno to leave his Sophist’s teacher’s views out of it. He wanted to hear Meno’s own words. Socrates wasn’t going to give up, in the pursuit of, the true explanation of virtue. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Socrates Guilty as Charged? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Meno had several definitions of virtue that were close to being right but were a little bit off. These answers didn’t cut it for Socrates, and nothing but the truth would satisfy him. Socrates was on a mission to find the truth, but the government was afraid of the truth. Socrates asked questions, which people didn’t like. It makes them nervous, especially when they have something to hide. Obviously, Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon have something to hide. They know that the youth of Athens are very persuadable, and Socrates is teaching youth to think for themselves. They are afraid of the new generation of thinking for themselves and starting a revolution against the government. I think a revolution was exactly what the government needed. The men had politics in their blood and sometimes it blinded them. They said Socrates is the only one corrupting the youth of Athens. This can’t be true. Many of the youth were corrupted and not only one person could affect them all. There is no way Socrates’ teaching corrupted every dishonest youth in Athens. There are many other corrupting influences. Socrates said that if he did corrupt the youth he did unintentionally. If this was true, which I believe was, he would not need to be brought into court for a conviction and sentence. He would have only needed to be made aware of what he was doing wrong by the government. Socrates is looking out for the youth. He was helping them by educating them. The accusers weren’t doing anything to help the youth. Euthyphro was convicting his own father of murder. What kind of world was it that they were living in? Socrates is trying to better the world through education. He did this in the use of his Socratic method in which he would challenge his students question after question. The purpose was to expose contradictions in the student’s thoughts and ideas to then guide them to arrive at a solid, acceptable conclusion. The Sophists were educating as well, but not like Socrates. The Sophists were only teaching to give bold and grand answers. They do not teach to ask questions or to dig deeper. They were telling the youth to distract people with their big words and long, drawn out responses. This was the art of politics. Socrates’ way of educating the youth was magnificent. He taught them to use simple definitions and give precise answers that any citizen could understand. Once again, he strives for truth, which could never result in corruption. If Socrates had corrupted a young man, or numerous young men, and they grew up to realize they had been corrupted by Socrates, they would have come forward to the courts by now to accuse him themselves. Even if they couldn’t find the courage to do it themselves, their fathers, brothers, or other relations would have come forward. The lack of convictions that had been brought up by Socrates’ students and former students proves that what he was teaching them wasn’t corrupt. Socrates was a wise man. He had witnesses to prove it. The Oracle at Delphi said that Socrates is the wisest man in all of Athens. Most men would hear this statement and run with it, but Socrates is a humble man. He didn’t believe this information at first and even stated, â€Å"I am very conscious that I am not wise at all. He went out into Athens and questioned so-called â€Å"wise† men. He did this to prove the oracle wrong, but he ended up finding that he is the wisest of them all. This is because he didn’t believe he was wise, which is what makes him wise. Many men think they are wise which blinds them. They can’t see the truth. The fact that Socrates didn†™t believe he is wise makes him a good and humble man. Good and humble men don’t corrupt the youth or perform impious acts. When Socrates realized that people didn’t like him or his teachings, he was sorrowed and alarmed. These feelings revealed the truth in that all he was trying to accomplish was overall help Athens through education. Socrates old accusers, such as Aristophanes, are charging Socrates with studying things in the sky and beneath the earth. They don’t like that Socrates is questioning the nature of things. They think that he is invading the turf of the gods. How can the old accusers convict him for invading the turf of the gods when he said himself that he is in service of the gods? There had been multiple signs given to him to tell him to do this work such as oracles, dreams, and communication between the divine and mortals. The accusers can’t deny the evidence. Socrates believed in the gods. The old accusers are on the gods’ side and Socrates is working for the gods, so they should be praising him for doing the work of the gods they honor. He was studying things in the sky and beneath the earth because that is where gods come from. The gods obviously didn’t punish Socrates for doing his work, so how can Socrates be bad? The old accusers were trying to do the work of the gods by convicting him, but they were really ignoring the gods’ signs that he is in their service. I think that many of the accusers misinterpreted Socrates’ work. What Socrates was doing was unlike anyone else’s and the new ideas scared them. They are worried he is going to become the person in power and try to overthrow them, but they are wrong. They viewed him as a threat. Since Socrates had never been involved in public affairs or politics before, they thought he is against the government. He also intimidates them because he has power, but he wasn’t a member of the government which is unheard of at the time. Every man who has power and influence was either involved in politics, or is a friend of the government. His students and friends are so committed to him that the accusers think he might be building up a small army. Socrates is just trying to help Athens. This is all that he cared about. I will say it again, I think Socrates is a good man. He had never profited financially from his services. He didn’t charge a fee for his advice and he had so many witnesses that will admit that. He lived in poverty because he cared so much for Athens. His divine mission, given to him by the gods, was to philosophize, so that is what he did. Who is he to go against the gods? Socrates is a citizen of Athens, and he loved Athens and its gods. I think that in itself that should have been enough to save him from conviction. Socrates was a great man and seen as a great teacher. Some men within the government, namely, the old and new accusers, are threatened by him. They created these convictions in their heads in order to get rid of him, but I don’t think it was right. Socrates shouldn’t be convicted or sentenced to punishment because Socrates has done more good for Athens than anyone else. To sentence him to death was a very tragic loss.