Trial & Death of Socrates

The Trial & Death of Socrates
• 399 BCE in Athens
• During this time, Athens is a democracy; But, no judges or juries. There was a mass audience of citizens who decided Socrates fate
• 3 accusations:
1. Corrupting the youth of Athens – making the young people doubt their parents, the laws of Athens, and the Greek religion
2. Worshipping strange gods; Basically, not worshipping the gods of Athens – Zeus
3. Atheism; Accused of being atheist
• Socrates was a celebrity at this point and this was the trial of the century
• 3 accusers (prosecutors) –
1. All 3 were all humiliated by Socrates at one point in time in different dialogues so the trial was a type of revenge
2. They all wanted the death penalty
• Aristaphanes wrote a playwright called “Clouds” that basically made fun of Socrates; idea that Socrates always had his head up in the clouds  This influenced the opinion of the masses who watched and voted on Socrates’ fate
1. Irony is that Socrates was portrayed as a Sophist!
2. In the play, Socrates had a school which he charged money
• Sophists (philosophers) were enemies of the Socrates
1. The Sophists charged money to teach philosophy & Socrates considered this practice to be IMMORAL!
2. Sophists claimed that they could teach the youth to be virtuous – Socrates thought that you couldn’t ‘teach’ virtue
• It’s time for Socrates to give a defense for himself
1. Socrates does not really address the inconsistency between accusations 2 and 3.
2. He claims that all he has done was ask questions and never gave alternatives
3. So the prosecutors asked why are you asking so many questions? Why don’t you just stay home?
 Socrates mentions the Oracle at Delphi which was a cave just outside of Athens. In ancient Greece, they considered that a God lived inside this cave. The God would tell you the answer, and would always tell you the truth and would never lie.
 Socrates says his ‘friend’ asked Delphi who was the wisest person in the world, and the god said ‘Socrates’ so Socrates’ says he went everywhere asking questions trying to find someone wiser than him, but he said he couldn’t find anyone.
 Socrates claims that he is on a mission from the god (oracle) to prove the god wrong and find someone wiser than him
 The 2 things Socrates does: He mocks Oracle at Delphi which is very ancient; and he basically tells everyone there that they are not wiser than Socrates.
4. Socrates warns the people of Athens that by putting him to death, he is going to use their hypocrisy to teach all of history a lesson. But what is the lesson?
5. Socrates says, “If you kill me, if I die, I’m not afraid” – he didn’t think anyone should be afraid to die. His reason was that he was going to one of two places, which he doesn’t reeallly believe in but it’s the last final middle finger to religion:
 Elysian Fields – Heaven for the Greeks; it was one big party (feast and orgy) – Only 2 types of people went there:
1. Soldiers who die in battle
2. The great poets: Homer, Hesiod, Simonides
 Hades – big dark, wet cave in center of Earth – walk around bored because If I go to Hades, it’ll be fun because I’ll get to walk around and ask questions for eternity.
6. Now they take a vote & Socrates is condemned by a mere 30 votes. Plato was there watching as well.
7. But, they didn’t want to put him to death; there was a Greek tradition written into their laws saying that they condemned could decide their own punishment only in cases where the people thought the prosecutors were asking for too much.
8. Socrates makes suggestions for possible punishments (he continues to piss everyone off)
1. Pay a fine, but he was homeless so he suggested that everyone pitches in $5 to help pay his fine
2. Exile me – This was a big deal because honor was a HUGE deal, and exilement was a huge punishment
• But he said he would go around the world and keeping asking questions and give Athens a bad reputation
3. Can’t fine or exile me, so all that is left is death
9. So he is taken to prison and his disciples are allowed to visit him; Plato and others paid off the guards and trying to get him to escape, but Socrates refuses. Socrates says he has never broken a law and he is not a criminal and he wasn’t going to start now. “I’ve never broken a law, and I’m not about to start now”
10. Two dialogues were written 20 years after the trial
 Apology
 Phaedo  This is where Socrates actually talks about his views on the afterlife during his last hours
11. The method of death was hemlock  strong herbal poison relaxant mixed with wine
12. Socrates’ Famous Last Words: Takes goblet, raises it up, and says, “Don’t fear death, because when you die, one of two things is going to happen (neither of them aren’t that bad). Either:
1. Death is a dreamless sleep (meaning no afterlife)
2. What’s more likely to happen is that your soul survives the body & it goes on to have more adventures
 He favors the idea that there is life after death & says either option isn’t that bad
13. The questions:
 What is the lesson you think Socrates was trying to teach all of us?
1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and tell the truth
2. Stand up for what you believe in
3. Don’t fear death
4. Capital T truth will triumph in the end – he dies, but we’re still talking about him
 Be willing to die for what you believe in (combo of 2 & 3)