Euthyphro's Lawsuit Against Socrate

Socrates was a Western Ancient Athenian Greek philosopher who lived from 469 BCE until his death in 399 BCE. He was a student to another philosopher, Sophists, Socrates was different from most Greek philosophers he wanted to get at the truth and find out how one can truly be ‘good’ and moral in life. “To Socrates the soul is identified with the mind; it is the seat of reason and capable of finding the ethical truths, which will restore meaning and value of life” (ADD IN-TEXT CITATION SEMINAR). We continue to use many of Socrates teachings today, such as, ‘The Socratic method’, which is known as asking a question and within these questions you lead it to the answer you wanted to hear, many uses this as a teaching technique and is shown to be highly effective. A great number of Athenians looked up to Socrates and considered him the wise man of Athens, he had many followers whom would ask questions and seek answers. As popularity and following of Socrates grew so did accusations. The charges laid on Socrates by the Athenians were unjust and therefore his death was highly wrong in the eyes of true democracy that Athens was apparently known for. In this paper, I will discuss how Socrates was wrongfully convicted for the corruption of the youth despite having many young followers, introducing new Gods while still being considered an Atheist, and the main reason he was seen as a threat to Athens was that he brought change to the city.

Socrates was a man who spent most of his time talking to people. He would ask them hypothetical questions, and make them think for themselves about the true answer they believed in, by serving as a guide for the conversation. Many people, including the accusers, believed that while Socrates did this, he was serving as a Sophist. A Sophist is a person who talks to people, and teaches them how to argue a point, whether the point is right or wrong. A Sophist would collect money for this lesson, and go on with their teachings (Xenophon 42). This accusation is inaccurate because Socrates did not collect any money for his conversations with people. Instead, Socrates was a very poor man, who happened to have rich friends. Talking to these people was a way for Socrates to try to spread his way of life to the Athenian's. He enjoyed conversing with people about ethical issues, and moral beliefs. In his argument, Socrates refutes Meletus' charge that he corrupts the young. One crucial point deals with the idea of Socrates as a paid teacher. This would imply that Socrates was actively seeking students and teaching "corrupting" ideas. This plays a part in the argument, by Meletus, that Socrates has deliberately corrupted the youth. Socrates says that, "the young men who follow me around of their own free will, those who have most leisure, the sons

Socrates says that the young men follow me, but not on my account they try to imitate what I say, which causes their fathers to be angry with me. Socrates says I have been accused of corrupting the youth, but I say Meletus is guilty of such things. For it is Meletus who does not believe in the gods of the city and corrupting the youth, Socrates and Meletus start to argue about the rights and wrongs of the law. Socrates proves his point by saying that Meletus contradicts himself, for he say that Socrates doesn’t believe in gods but Socrates I do believe in the gods.

Socrates was a great thinker and debater dedicated to truth. He spent his golden years walking the streets of Athens in pursuit of wisdom. Socrates lived the destiny that was revealed to him in the Oracle. He created and perfected his own cross-examination technique; we today know it as the Socratic Method. He was thorough and unrelenting. His subjects were often humiliated. Socrates would methodically disprove anyone he thought was wrong. In his eyes, most of the people he interviewed were blind. It did not matter if one was wealthy and influential or if they were young and impressionable. Socrates could question anyone and turn him or her inside out. Unfortunately, he did so without regard to the

Socrates has shown he has no fear in being accused of crimes he knows he didn’t do. He gives explanation by saying that if you are accused of mothing you didn’t do they accusers will be the ones in pain from the loss and wrong doing. He goes about explaining how he has never charged or tried to seek material good for his teachings, he only wanted to help people through their own wisdom. While in court they go through all of his accusations and Socrates has no struggle disproving his guilt and proving them wrong. He explains that the accusers offer no witnesses to the charge and even if they charged him he could not pay for it because he is poor (28). Socrates is a selfless man as seem through his actions that is only trying to prove his knowledge through wisdom and teachings. While in court Socrates was accused of not believing in the Gods of Athens. He goes on to explain that he does believe in the gods, he states that one cannot teach spiritual things without believing in the Gods themselves and cherishing their worth. He backs this up with the statement that

Socrates was a Greek philosopher, who is one of the founders of western philosophy. Socrates never wrote down his ideas or thoughts, his students or compressors, Plato, wrote down his ideas and thoughts. Socrates was accused of expressing there were different Gods and he was brought to trial in 399.B.C.E. Socrates character, in the different passages I read, Euthyphro, Apology and Citro are a little contradictory. And if the act of persuading the state is the only alternative to blind obedience, why did Socrates' in both of specifically in his defense and generally in his career make so little effort to persuade the people when they were acting unjustly? In this essay I hope to demonstrate how Socrates character contradicts in these different passages and why didn't he persuade the people when the people were acting so unjustly.

During the time of Socrates, religion and law should be respected and followed. In Ancient Greece, men who hold a citizenship of a city-state such as Athens must conform to all their laws and religion. Religion at that time was very important and valued. If anyone tried to change it or question it would be doomed to death. This what happened to Socrates because not only did he question the God but he was also corrupting the younger generation according to the courts (Plato 2 and 4). For a man in Ancient Greece he should be a pious person. As I mention earlier one must submit to the gods and make offering to them.

At that end, Socrates claims he began to see himself as a representative of the oracle’s words; instead of pretending to know a great deal, he chose to profess his ignorance and be honest with himself about it (23e). To that end, he was able to act as himself and maintain his integrity. During the trial, Socrates holds everyone else to the same standard; when he talks about Meletus, his accuser, he calls him out on not actually caring about what he professes to care about – namely, the charges against Socrates. Through the trial, Socrates has proved not only Meletus do not care about the matter he mentioned in the charge, also he has no idea what is he talking about either a lot or a little, Socrates cleverly seduced Meletus go into his trap, by using the anger that Meletus hold against Socrates. Because obvious there are some much better answers for Meletus to answer.

Socrates can’t stop there he states, “So even now I continue this investigation that god bade me- and I go around seeking out anyone, citizen or stranger, whom I think wise. Then if I do not think he is, I come to the assistance of the god and show him that he is not wise.” 23b. Socrates sticks to his morals in pointing out the shortcomings in Athens even if this offends the jury and ultimately cost him

In Beginnings Through the Renaissance, the people of Athens began to turn away from Socrates’ beliefs, stating blasphemy in his words. Socrates was accused of impiety and corruption of Athenian youth. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Perhaps looking to the Gods for leadership and truth wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

He goes on to tell the story of why he began to challenge the intellectuals of society in the first place. Socrates tells of a deceased friend by the name of Chaerephon who “… went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether… there was anyone wiser than I [Socrates] was, and the Pythian prophetess answered that there was no man wiser.” This troubles Socrates, and he contemplates what this statement really means. Unable to come to a sound conclusion, he devises a plan to get the answer he seeks: “I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand. I should say to him, ‘Here is a man who is wiser than I am; but you said that I was the wisest.’” After meeting with a man who had a reputation for being wise, however, Socrates departed without the man wiser than he. He left the man, thinking to himself: “Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is – for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows.” After encounters with multiple men who possess supposed wisdom, Socrates realizes the prophecy must be correct: “… but the truth is, O men of Athens, that God only is wise; and in this oracle he means to say that the wisdom of men is little or nothing…” Socrates proceeds to question Meletus in front of the councilmen. He questions Meletus about the charges he has brought against him and his reasons

If he were still alive today, most people would just think Socrates to be a crazy old man, and they would proceed to ignore him. Alas, in times of Ancient Greece, things were not so black and white. At this point, Socrates was being accused of a few things, one of which was being described as “…a student of all things in the sky and below the earth…” An odd accusation to hear about today, but completely plausible in this day and age. By learning things other than the mythology that people were taught in Ancient Greece, such as science and logic, a person would be stating his or her denouncement belief in the gods. Practicing any other religion was most surely a death sentence in and of itself, so the idea of Socrates learning things against the gods was more than likely going to be perceived as treason against the gods themselves. Socrates’ counter to this is a weak one, and merely results in just a play on words. Socrates manages to convince Meletus to state that Socrates does indeed believe in spirits, whom are the “bastard children of the gods,” and, in his opinion, by Meletus stating that he believes in spirits, he is contradicting the

If I were an accuser of Socrates, I would try and convict him with the charge of corrupting the youth, but I would do so from a standpoint of stability, and from the standpoint of Socrates possibly brining harm to Athens. I argue that by Socrates not honoring the Gods recognized by the government of Athens, that he would be bringing the wrath of the Gods down upon us. I argue that him corrupting the youth into believing that the Gods of Athens are not to be honored, would eventually make the Gods mad and then famine, plagues, and losses in battles of war are inevitable. (law2.umkc.edu, 2015) If more of this Socratic idea spreads, Athens will become destabilized and unity in Athens would be low. There will be revolts, riots, and possibly the

First, Socrates defended himself against the charge of corrupting the youth in Athens. Socrates explained that he would be also be harming himself if he was intentionally corrupting the youth. Socrates was surrounding himself with people who would follow his beliefs, not people he was trying to corrupt. In the bible it says,

The main method Socrates implements in seeking to be virtuous by following the law is elenchus: Socrates’ dialogic method of asking questions of an interlocutor until the interlocutor becomes aware of contradictions in his thinking. This method is used most notably while cross-examining Meletus, who is charging him with corrupting the youth of Athens and being a staunch atheist. Before this elenchus even begins, says that the trial should “proceed in whatever way is dear to the god, but the law must be obeyed and a defense speech must be made”(Apo. 19a). Through this passage alone, it is apparent that Socrates already holds high regard for the law itself and its procedures. He begins this process when he says, “Now he asserts that I do injustice by corrupting the young. But, I, men of Athens, assert that Meletus does injustice, in that he jests in a serious matter, easily bringing human beings to trial, pretending to be serious and concerned about things for which he never cared at all” (Apo. 24c). Socrates’ whole purpose is to benefit Athenian society through the pursuit of truth and justice, and the fact that he is being accused of an injustice vexes him to such a degree that he tears down Meletus in his cross-examination. Socrates questions Meletus, revealing that “the laws” produce better young men and “all the Athenians, as it appears, make them noble and good” except for Socrates himself. After this is established, Socrates states that the court has charged him with a