Was There Justice In Socrates Trial

What is justice? According to Socrates, to be just is what every individual is conditioned to strive for. Those who act unjustly are guided by ignorance and only they themselves believe they are doing good. A core ideal of Socrates was that everyone should do good and avoid wrong. His views on law and justice are shaped around this ideal.

During Socrates’ defense against Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon in Plato’s Apology, Socrates states that he will refuse the jury’s decision, regarded as the Law of Athens, if the court were to acquit him on the basis that he stops practicing philosophy. However, later in Plato’s Crito, Socrates explains he cannot escape from prison due to the laws of Athens and thus adheres to the jury’s decision of a death sentence. Despite appearing to contradict himself, Socrates is actually not contradicting himself at all. Socrates asserts that he did nothing wrong in regard to the laws of Athens and has never been a bad example for the youth in comparison to everyone in the audience and jury. If Socrates were to lament and agree to the acquittal in order to live, then he would be going against his philosophical mission from god and would be agreeing that he did do something wrong; this is why Socrates testifies that he would die rather than agree to stop practicing philosophy. Since escaping jail to avoid death would contradict his ideals, Socrates refuses to disobey the laws of Athens, which he always adheres to, and decides he will commit to his sentencing despite the fact he is unjustly convicted. In both cases, Socrates is standing up for his ideals of philosophy and to his notion of goodness, which allows him to sensibly and honestly state that he will adhere to the jury (and therefore the Laws of Athens) in one case and is able to refuse to adhere to their judgments in another.

Everyone knows that Greeks invented democracy, but it was not democracy as we know it now-days. The charges that were made to Socrates would be ridiculous today, but in Ancient Greece, they were legitimate crimes. At that time, speaking of other gods, having different ideologies, disagreeing with Athenian politicians, etc. were seen as unacceptable. Socrates was believed to be that kind of man. Plato and Xenophon, two of Socrates students, claimed that because of Socrates openly criticized of Athenian politicians made him gain many enemies. Not to mention that at that time Ancient Greece went through a time of war, famine, loss, and plague. There was crisis in Athens and Socrates came in with his new teachings. Many of Athens thought that his teaching were corrupting the youth, the only people that could now bring Athens forward (cam.ac.uk). But were the accusations true? Was Socrates actually innocent? I believe he was. Three reasons why I believe Socrates was innocent was because Socrates did believe in Athenian gods, he didn’t actually corrupt the youth, and many of the bad things said of Socrates were rumors.

Socrates has gained fame from accepting his death for the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the Gods. People have argued and debated the truth behind his guilty sentence. In any case, when someone is judging truth and righteousness they must first look at and interpret the law. For Socrates, the law will work as it is and will not change for him. One may be told that they have been found guilty or innocent of any crime, but the true measure of guilt or innocence is only valid to the person committing the “crime”. Although, there are still many people who believe that Socrates was guilty due to the way he had acted in court. There is also people who believe that Socrates is guilty, but feel that the death penalty was a bit

The first point of what Socrates answers what isn’t justice is that justice isn’t equality. It is not after death of getting revenge that makes justice equal. Socrates uses the example of how when a person is on trial for murder, and how that person sentence is death. The end result will not be justice, because in the end both the criminal and already the innocent will be dead and no equality of justice would have been done at all. Another example is when a person is put to death when they owe taxes. There is no equal justice to killing someone who owes taxes because in the end result, the tax is still not paid off. So this leaves Justice is not paying amends. It is then moved to the question of when is justice is used. Justice is used when

He proclaims that “examining both myself and others is really the very best thing that a man can do, and that life without this sort of examination is not worth living” (Plato 66). Socrates believes that the government will be able to change so that people who value goodness and truth would be in power. However, later in the Apology, Socrates contradicts himself when he explains why he has led a mostly private life, saying that “if I had long ago attempted to take part in politics, I should have died long ago” (Plato 58). Socrates believes “a man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life” (Plato 59). This goes against what he has been saying for the rest of the trial and demonstrates the unrealistic quality of the high standards to which he holds the government and leaders. If Socrates says it is dangerous for proponents of justice to live a public life, it becomes extremely difficult for politicians to be virtuous and morally good, since politicians live essentially their whole lives in the public sphere. It is not realistic for Socrates to believe that the government of Athens could progress so that good people hold the power, when he has shown that in his own experience and observations it is not safe for good people to hold public positions.

Understanding the decisions made by the jurymen in Socrates trial will always be a mystery, but one can perceive why some would have voted the way that they did. Politically and historically Athens was a thriving place of innovation and philosophical advancements. Athens could very well be divided, morally on various aspects, one of them being which “political” affiliation Athenians related themselves with. Some choices were between the Traditionalists, Sophists or an up and coming ideas of Socratics or Platonics. Militarily, during the life of Socrates, Athens was involved in the Peloponnesian Wars, a set of conflicts between Sparta and Athens, in which Athens

Socrates’s offering to the jury is to tell the truth, despite not admitting that it is simply his truth and thus not the entire truth, he is not able to convey to the jury the importance of not killing him. A bad citizen would try to undermine the jury by committing perjury and disobeying the decision of the court. He however, wouldn’t even like it if the jury committed perjury on his behalf, “Socrates says what he means on the stand hold honesty above all else, so when he is offered a chance to escape from his execution he does not take it. By refusing to escape, he reiterates how sticking to agreements is important to him. Socrates' commitment to the societal agreement between him and the city where he is allowed to live in

Socrates claims that it was impossible for the one person to be capable of corrupting the youth when they had so many to show them in the right direction. However, Socrates disproved this alibi by constantly telling the people of Athens that they are wrong for their beliefs and lifestyle choices. He made it clear that he did not consider Athens to have a good moral compass. Furthermore, I believe Socrates knew he would be found guilty of this charge, stating that, “No man on earth who conscientiously opposes either you or any other organized democracy, and flatly prevents a great many wrongs and illegalities from taking place in the state to which he belongs, can possibly escape with his life." (Line 31e)

One relevant argument Socrates makes quite well is the fact that those bringing charges against him clearly dislike his character and actions. Socrates openly dissenting with political figureheads such as Meletus and Anytus which spurred their disdain for him. He uses this as a ploy to help his jury find him innocent. Though he is correct in asserting the charges against him are brought because his enemies want to see him dealt with, he is not correct in assuming they are inherently wrong in

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

Everyone has their own beliefs, and it is a human's right to have their own belief. Believing in God, is simply a belief, it is an idea in which we choose to believe in a higher up or an almighty, but it is our choice to believe in it. There is no hard evidence that he may exist, but we humans tend to have a belief in at least a God. The same idea lies for Socrates. The Trial of Socrates begins with Socrates being accused of impiety and corrupting the youth, simply because he has his own belief in Gods and these youths, decided to follow his belief. Because Socrates had his own sense of beliefs in God or not necessarily believing in the Gods in which the society believes in he is taken to trial in which he struggles to keep himself afloat and prove to the people why he believes in his own belief and knows that he has the right to have a belief. The “Men of Athens” or the “lawyers” “prove” Socrates wrong in which he may not elaborate to others on his own beliefs. He may not speak about his own thoughts on Gods or how many Gods really exist. He is sentenced to death by the “justice” system. Why is he sentenced to death? Because he believes in a principle or an idea of his own? I thought the justice system was created to justify people's arguments or to help the innocent stay innocent, not put the innocent to

He started off by asking the jury to listen to him with an open mind and not to believe all the things that they have heard about him through rumours. Socrates claims that he is not a skilled speaker, he is merely a man who speaks the truth. He urges the jury to act with integrity. Socrates defends his philosophical life passionately and he makes it clear that he would rather die than go against his values. He even goes as far as to say that he does not fear death because he does not know what death truly is. Socrates also hopes to help others gain wisdom through his defence. He does not beg for mercy from the jury, he stands by what he believes in and defends his philosophical beliefs until the end “But now it is time to go away, I to die and you to live. Which of us goes to a better thing is unclear to everyone except to the god”

Socrates begins his defense by asking the jury to clear their minds of the false venoms they heard about him, keep an open mind, and listen to what he has to say. It is important to note that before Socrates truly begins to defend himself, he apologizes to the jury and begs them to “disregard the manner of [his] speech—for perhaps it might be worse and perhaps better—and observe and pay attention merely to this, whether what [he] say is just or not,” 1 as he never stood before a jury before and does not know how these procedures go. Socrates states that he shall first defend himself against the early and false accusations made against him throughout the

He talked about how he went to investigate for a man, who could be wiser then he so Socrates went to politicians, poets and craftsman who declared to have profound wisdom, however none of them reached the same capacity of wisdom as Socrates attained. He believed that the citizens possessing a high reputation were ordinary people unjustly putting themselves above others to appeal educated and intellectual in order to be respected and gain authority. He said that they claimed to know something even though they knew nothing and he himself knows nothing as well, however with the difference that he is aware of his own ignorance, which makes him wiser than the rest as God foretold him. This statement also explains his definition of human wisdom. What he however truly feels Athenian society is lacking of is truth; In the beginning of his defense Socrates says about himself that he is not such a great speaker as his accusers who make artificial speech full of “dressed up” phrases and words, which however don’t express the truth. The foundations of his apology are in fact based on this moral aspect, which also reflects his beliefs that every individual mainly those with a great power should speak only truth and be true to themselves. Nonetheless, one of the main reasons Socrates doesn’t want to be associated with