Socrates

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FortheBrazilianfootballer,seeScrates

Socrates(469BC399BC)wasoneofthegreatestGreek
philosophers.Hedidnotproposeanyspecificknowledgeor
policy.Heshowedhowargument,debate,anddiscussioncould
helpmentounderstanddifficultissues.Mostoftheissueshe
dealtwithwereonlypoliticalonthesurface.Underneath,they
weremoralquestionsabouthowlifeshouldbelived.[1]Suchis
theinfluenceofSocratesthatphilosophersbeforehimarecalled
thePresocraticphilosophers.[2]

Socratesmadeenemies,threeofwhombroughtchargesagainst
him.Socrateswastriedforhislifein399BC,foundguilty,and
puttodeathbydrinkinghemlock(aherbalpoison).[1]Thestory
ofhistrialanddeathisthesubjectofatractbyPlatowhichis
calledtheApologia.
PortraitofSocrates,aRomancopy
MostofwhatweknowaboutSocratescomesfromtheworksof fromaGreekstatue,Louvremuseum
Plato,whowashispupil.SocrateslivedintheGreekcityof
Athens.Hismethodofteachingwastohaveadialoguewith
individualstudents.Theywouldproposesomepointofview,andSocrateswouldquestionthem,asking
whattheymeant.Hewouldpretend"Idon'tknowanythingI'mjusttryingtounderstandwhatitisyou
aresaying",orwordstothateffect.ThisisnowcalledtheSocraticmethodofteaching.

Socratesissometimescalledthe"fatherofWesternphilosophy".Thisisbecauseinthediscussionshe
uncoveredsomeofthemostbasicquestionsinphilosophy,questionswhicharestilldiscussedtoday.
Someofthepeoplehetaughtcametobeimportantandsuccessful,likePlatoandAlcibiades.

Contents
1ThelifeofSocrates
1.1Biographicaldetails
2ThedeathofSocrates
2.1Theaccusations
2.2Thetrial
2.3Thesentence
2.4DeathofSocrates
2.5PlatoonSocrates'trialanddeath
3TheideasofSocrates
4Legacy
5References

ThelifeofSocrates
Socratesneverwroteanything.AllofwhatweknowaboutSocratesisfromwhatotherpeoplewrote
abouthim.OurmainsourceofwhatweknowaboutSocratesisfromthewritingsofhisstudent,Plato.
SomeofPlato'sdialogues,suchastheCritoandthePhaedo,arelooselybasedonfact.Theyarenot
writtenrecords,butartisticrecreationofSocratesinaction.[1]

AnotherofSocrates'students,XenophonalsowroteaboutSocrates.Aristophanes,apersonwhowrote
brilliantsatiricalcomedies,wroteabouthiminplaycalledTheClouds.Socrateswasaneasytargetfor
satire.Hewalkedbarefoot,andwithaswagger.Sometimeshestoodinatranceforhours.[1]p8InThe
CloudsSocratesisacrazypersonwhotriestoscampeopleoutoftheirmoney.PlatowrotethatSocrates
taughtforfree.

WedonotknowifPlato'sdescriptionofSocratesisaccurateornot.Thatiscalledthe'Socraticproblem'.
WhilealotofwhatPlatowroteaboutSocratesisacceptedbyhistorians,somebelievethatPlato(who
sawSocratesasahero)portrayedSocratesasagreatermanthanheactuallywas.SomethinkthatPlato
wasusingthecharacterofSocratesasatooltoexpresshisownopinionsratherthantoaccuratelywrite
aboutSocrates.ThisiswhatmakesSocratessuchamysterioushistoricalfigure.Plato'sdialoguesare
worksofart,finelywritten.Thegeneralviewisthattheyarebasedonreality,butnodoubtadjustedfor
thepurposeofwriting.

Biographicaldetails

Socrates'fatherwasasculptor,andhismotherwasamidwifewhohelpedwomengivebirthto
children.[1]Hemayhavebeenastonemasonlikehisfather,andPlatowrotethatheservedinthe
Athenianarmyasahoplite(heavyinfantry).Weknowhewasinfluencedbyanolderphilosopher,
Archelaus,andthathetalkedwithanyonewhohadinterestingideasinAthens,butbeyondthatnothing
isknown.

Socrateswasabout50whenhemarriedamuchyoungerwoman,Xanthippe.Theyhadthreechildren
together.Socratesmadecomplaintsabouthiswife,butnooneknewifhewastellingthetruth.

ItissaidthatoneofSocrates'friendswenttoasktheoracleatDelphiiftherewasanyonewiserthan
SocratesinAthens.Theoraclesaidthattherewasnowiserperson.Theoraclewaswellknownfor
sayingthingsthatwereambiguousorunclear.ItdidnotsaythatSocrateswasthewisest,justthatthere
wasnopersonwiser.

Afterbeingpuzzledbythis,Socratesfinallydecidedthathiswisdomlayinknowingthathewas
ignorant.Hisattemptstoshowthecitizensthatsomeoftheirideaswerenonsensemighthelpexplainhis
unpopularity.InPlato'sworks,Socratessaysheknowsnothing,butcandrawoutotherpeople'sideas
justashismotherhelpedotherwomentogivebirth.

ThedeathofSocrates
Theaccusations

In399BC,whenSocrateswasanoldman,threecitizensMeletus,AnytusandLyconbrought
chargesagainstSocrates.Atrialwasheld.InancientAthenstheprocedurewasquitedifferentfromthe
presentday.Therewasajuryof500mendrawnfromthecitizens.Boththeaccusersandthedefendant
hadtomakespeechesinpersontothejury.Guiltorinnocencewasbymajorityvote.Therewasno
presetpenaltyiftheverdictwas'guilty'.Boththeaccuserandthedefendantwouldmakespeeches
proposingwhatthepenaltyshouldbe.Again,avotewastaken.[1]p17
Thereweretwochargesagainsthim.ThegeneralthemewasthatSocrateswasamenacetosociety.The
firstchargewasofheresy,disbeliefintheGods.Itwasprobablymeanttocauseprejudiceamongstthe
jurymen.Actually,Socratesobservedallthecorrectproceduresofthereligionofhistimes.Thecharge
hadbeenusedsuccessfullyagainstanotherphilosopher,Anaxagoras.[1]p17

Thesecondchargewasthathecorruptedtheyouthwithhisteachings.Whatwasmeantbythis?
Apparently,thiswasnotabouthispersonalrelationshipwithhispupils.Itwasaboutthewayhewas
thoughttoinfluencetheirpoliticalviews.Hiscirclehadincludedanumberofrightwingaristocrats
whoseideaswerenowrejectedbymostcitizens.ThebrilliantAlcibiades,onceagreatleaderofAthens,
wasnowseenasatraitor.[1]p17

Thetrial

Crito,afriendofSocrates,illegallypaidtheprisonguardstoallowSocratestoescape.Socrates,
however,decidednottoescape.WhenSocrateswasputontrial,hegavealongspeechtodefendhimself
againsttheclaimsmadebytheAthensgovernment.

WehavePlato'sversionofhowSocratesdefendedhimself,intheApologia.Itstarts:

"Idonotknowwhateffectmyaccusershavehaduponyou,gentlemen,butformyownpartIwas
carriedawaybythemtheirargumentsweresoconvincing.Ontheotherhand,scarcelyawordof
whattheysaidwastrue".[1]p19

Thesentence

WhenSocrateswasaskedtoproposehispunishment,Socratessaidthatthegovernmentshouldgivehim
freedinnersfortherestofhislifeforallthegoodthathedidforsociety.Thecourtheldavotebetween
givingSocratesafinetopayorputtinghimtodeath.TheverdictwasthatSocrateswastobeputto
death.

DeathofSocrates

Socratesdidnotfeardeath.Hedidnottrytoavoiddeathbyapologizingforhisactionsbecausehe
thoughtitwasmorallyrighttostandbyhisprinciples.Socrateswasorderedtodrinkacupofhemlock(a
poisonousliquidgotfromtheplant).[3]Hedrankitanddiedsoonafter.

PlatoonSocrates'trialanddeath

ThereareseveraldialoguesbyPlatowhichdealdirectlywiththetrialofSocratesandtheperiodupto
hisdeath.Theyare,inorderoftheevents:

1. Apologia,orTheApology.ThisdealsinparticularwithSocrates'defenceathistrial.Itisregarded
asaccurateinsubstance,andperhapsindetail.
2. Crito.Thisdealswiththemonthbetweenhistrialandhisdeath.Inparticular,Socratesexplainsto
hisfriendCritowhyheisnotgoingtoescape,orpermithisfriendstobribethejailor.
3. Phaedo.Thisisalaterwork.ItiswrittenasifbyaneyewitnessofthelastdayofSocrates'life.In
thework,PhaedoofEliasreportstoagroupoffriendsonwhatSocratessaidonhislastday.This
iscalleda"reporteddialogue"oronedialogeinsideanother.ThePhaedoislongerthantheother
twoworks.
TheideasofSocrates
Socrateshelpedpeopletoseewhatwaswrongwiththeirideas.Sometimestheylikedthis,sometimes
theywerenothappyorgrateful.Hesaidthathe,Socrates,wasnotwise,butthathe"knewthatheknew
nothing."Sinceotherpeoplethinktheyknowsomething,butnoonereallyknowsanything,Socrates
claimedheknewmorethananyoneelse.Hesaidthatpeoplewhodobadthingsdosobecausetheydo
notknowanybetter.

PeoplethinkthatSocrateswasagoodmanbecausehedidnoharm,exceptheaskedquestionsabout
everything.However,duringhislifemanypeoplethoughthewasabadperson,becauseheaskedthose
questionsandbecausehemadeyoungpeopleunhappyabouttheirlives.

SomeoneoncewrotethatSocratessaidthat"Alifethatwasnotexaminedwasnotworthliving".This
meansthatsomeonemustthinkabouttheirownlifeanditspurpose.Somepeoplebelievethatmost
humansarehappieriftheydonotthinktoomuchabouttheirlife.

Socratesalsotaughtthatmanypeoplecanlookatsomethingandnottrulyseeit.Heaskedquestions
aboutthemeaningoflifeandgoodness.Thesearestillveryimportantquestions.Muchofphilosophy
(loveofwisdom)isaboutthesethings.

Legacy
Socratesisseenbysomepeopleasamartyr,sincehewillinglydiedtosupporttheideathatknowledge
andwisdomareveryimportanttoourlives.

SocratesisknownasoneofthemostimportantphilosophersinhistoryHeisoftendescribedasthe
fatherofWesternphilosophy.HedidnotstartWesternphilosophy,buthehadabiginfluenceonit.
BeforeSocrates,philosophywasmainlyaboutmathematicsandansweringquestionsaboutournatural
world.Socratesexpandedonthatandaddedquestionsaboutethics,politics,andepistemologyto
philosophy.

References
1. 1.01.11.21.31.41.51.61.71.8Plato.ThelastdaysofSocrates.TranslationandintroductionbyHugh
Tredennick.Penguin,London
2. GuthrieW.K.C.1962.AhistoryofGreekphilosophy.CambridgeUniversityPress,London.Volume1The
earlierpresocraticsandthepythagoreans.Volume2ThepresocratictraditionfromParmenidesto
Democritus.
3. Hemlockisgotfromanyofthepoisonousumbelliferousplants,ofthegeneraConium(Coniummaculatum
andConiumchaerophylloides)andCicuta

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