Why Did Socrates Not Believe In Horsemen's Activities?

Kenneth C. Blanchard, Jr. “The Enemies of Socrates: Piety and Sophism in the Socratic Drama.” The Review of Politics. 62.3 (2003): 421-449. Print.

A gadfly is a person who upsets status quo by posing upsetting questions. Term ‘gadfly’ was used by Plato in the ‘Apology’ to describe Socrates’ relationship of uncomfortable goad to Athenian political scene, which he compared to a slow and dim-witted horse. During his defence when on trial for his life, Socrates pointed out that dissent like the gadfly was easy to swat but cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high. “if you kill a man like

“After long perplexity, I thought of a method of trying the question. 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” (Plato 199). He validated his belief in the oracle to disprove the accusation of his atheism and show this as the reason behind his “mission to find a wiser man.” In “Socrates: A Companion to the Philosophers, John Beversluis says, “This disappointing venture had convinced him that the god was right: no one is wiser than Socrates, albeit only in the modest sense that, unlike the others, he does not claim to know what he does not know.”

In The Apology, Socrates refers to himself as a “gadfly” to the state. I believe that his use of this word is trying to explain his actions that may be considered annoying or repetitive to others. Gadflies can either be defined as a type of fly, or simply an annoying person. Socrates was often seen challenging the norms in Athenian society and may have bothered others with opposing viewpoints at this time. He states that he is “in all places.

He says by learning from Euthyphro he could strengthen his argument in court and claims it would give him a possible appeal in court by saying he was under the tutelage of Euthyphro, an expert in his field, and that by challenging Socrates Meletos would be insulting and challenging the teachings of Euthyphro. It is through this method that Socrates poses as the willing and eager student and Euthyphro the wise teacher. Euthyphro first presents the argument, which by all accounts due to his proclaimed expertise he believes to be absolutely and irrefutably the truth, that holiness is the practice of persecuting religious offenders. Socrates disagrees with this notion saying there are many other holy deeds besides persecuting religious offenders. Euthyphro suggests holiness is what is agreeable with the gods to which Socrates cleverly explains that the gods often quarrel mirroring that of humans in the sense that the opinion of one may not be the shared opinion of all.

Secondly, the notion of the gadfly and the horse compared to Socrates' duty as a philosopher to the state is an important metaphor in understanding Socrates' philosophical lifestyle. Socrates “clings to the state as a sort of gadfly to a horse...that needs to be aroused” (pg. 41). Socrates, questioning and probing for knowledge, arouses the “polis”. The citizens, “indignant, as drowsy persons are when they are awakened” (pg. 41) are ignorant without Socrates dialectic method. This philosophical way of living, questioning and interrogating similar to how a gadfly might irritate a horse, has caused Socrates to neglect his own personal life in search of human excellence.

In his analytical dialogue Euthyphro, Plato utilizes a dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro to prove that every claim and argument should be challenged regardless of who the individual making the claim or argument is. Being indicted of corrupting the youth, Socrates encounters Euthyphro at the Porch of the King Archon, who is currently prosecuting his father for murder. With intensions of escaping Meletus, whom is accusing Socrates of corrupting the youth, he clings to Euthyphro, believing that by utilizing his expertise in religion he can escape his accusations. As Socrates begins to ask Euthyphro questions such as what is holy, do the gods disagree with one another, what makes something holy, and does ministering to the gods benefit them,

pious, but every answer he offers is subjected to the full force of Socrates' critical thinking. Socrates systematically refutes Euthyphro's

Socrates begins by asking Meletus if he thinks that Socrates has corrupted the young by “teach[ing] them not to acknowledge the gods which the state acknowledges, but some other new divinities,” and Meletus agrees that this is the reason for his accusation. However, Meletus further states that Socrates is a complete “atheist,” meaning that he does not believe in god at all. This inconsistency in Meletus’ answers refute the entire accusation that Socrates is an atheist because Meletus already has established that Socrates teaches “other men to acknowledge some gods, and therefore that [he] does believe in gods, and [is] not an entire atheist.” This can also be presented as an argument in which our first premise is (P1) that Atheists do not believe in Gods, our second premise is that (P2) Socrates believes in God, and our conclusion therefore is that (C) Socrates is not an Atheist. This logically proves that Meletus is incorrect in his reasoning and that Socrates is not guilty of teaching the youth not to believe in Gods as a whole, but has only attempted to broaden their minds by introducing them to divinities outside of the state.

In his explanation of his behavior, Socrates also adds that part of his duty as a wise man, is to make sure that he questions the behavior of other wise men to make sure that those men are also aware

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.

After discovering this definition of wisdom, Socrates’ mission transforms from one of learning to one of teaching. He sees himself as on a mission from the god Apollo, who wishes for him to demonstrate his newfound knowledge of the nature of wisdom to all of Athens. Therefore, he continues to travel about the city and question those he sees as wiser than himself, but this time his purpose is not to glean the meaning of wisdom, but to show the people he is questioning their own deficiencies in being wise. In this manner, he sees himself as a gadfly on the horse that is Athens. Gadflies are small, insignificant creatures which have a large impact on the subject of their stinging. They

Meletus’s next charge is that Socrates ‘believes in false gods’. Socrates says that he believes in Divine Spirits. Meletus takes this statement to mean that Socrates says that if Meletus believed in gods and goddesses, then he must believe in Divine Spirits. For they are the children of the gods. After hearing this statement Meletus changes his story many times saying that Socrates did not believe in any gods at all. Meletus is not sure which one it should be and continues to change it back and forth. Meletus’s action of contradicting himself, clearly showing that the charge had no validity.

Only God knows the truth of what his form. Socrates does not believe in this type of lie.

Socrates and Confucius had very similar views on their religious beliefs. Socrates referred himself as a gadfly, a gadfly is a person who stirs up controversy who stirs up controversy and annoys people kind of like a horsefly biting a horse. Socrates is a Gadfly because he annoys the people of Athens and