Socrates, arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time, was accused, tried, and convicted of not only corrupting and leading astray the youth of Athens, he was convicted of conspiring against the state and the gods of the state. It was not right that he was convicted of all of these things, as the ancient Greeks should have encouraged the challenging of intellectual and religious ideals; however, this was not the case, and so by Greek standards Socrates was indeed guilty.
Even Plato, who venerated Socrates, acknowledged that by Athenian standards Socrates was guilty. In Plato’s Apology, the character of Socrates explains that by knowing that he knows nothing, he is wiser than all of the Athenian scholars who claim to have unlocked the mysteries of the universe:
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“I thought to myself: I am wiser than this man; neither of us probably knows anything that is really good, but he thinks he has knowledge, when he has not, while I, having no knowledge, do not think I have” (Plato). One of Socrates’ most famous quotes has to do with precisely this idea; if man knows many things, how can he be aware of his own ignorance, as the true wisdom of life comes from knowing that we know nothing? Socrates had long since accepted this ideas at the time of his trial; he knew that he was a smart man, but he did not pretend to be all-knowing. Socrates insisted on informing those in charge in Athens that they also were not all-knowing. Naturally, this did not sit well with men whose entire identity was hinged on their delicate and over-inflated egos.
In writing the Apology, Plato was not trying to say that Socrates was apologizing for his actions. The ancient meaning of the word “apologetics” is simply “explanations;” Socrates was explaining his position and why he was in fact correct in doing what he did, whether or not it “corrupted” the youth of Athens. He even said to the men of Athens, “Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy… Understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times” (Plato).
As we can see, Socrates was willing to die if it meant that he would die defending what he knew was right. He was not trying to be defiant; he did not outright approach the men of the jury and push in their faces that he knew more than them because he knew that he did not know anything; rather, Socrates unabashedly defended himself and his beliefs, citing the fact that the Athenian men’s opposition to those beliefs did not automatically render them invalid.
One might question the conclusion that this paper comes to; if Socrates was in the right, which he was, how is he guilty of the crimes brought against him? The answer is that by Athenian Law, he is indeed a law-breaker. Just because someone breaks the law does not mean that they have done something morally wrong. If I were on the jury sentencing Socrates, I would indeed find him guilty of the charges brought against him. However, I would not recommend that he be sentenced to death but to exile, never to return again to Athens unless he was willing to be executed on sight.
Socrates, even in the midst of such a stressful and trying time as mentioned above, did not back down from his convictions. He says in Crito, “I cannot abandon the principles which I used to hold in the past simply because this accident happened to me” (Plato). Socrates has accepted his fate and perhaps even welcomes it; however, that does not mean that he renounces his actions and teachings. Rather, he sticks by them, no matter what that may mean for his health, happiness, or even his life.
