The Trial and Death of Socrates

Recognized as one of the classical Greek Athenian philosophers who founded Western philosophy, Socrates was a mysterious figure known essentially through the accounts of later classical writers, especially from writings of his students Xenophon and the most popular Plato. Through Plato’s dialogues, Socrates has been portrayed and renowned for his involvement in the field of moral principles, and by this the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic Method had come about. With Socrates’ pedagogy, a series of questions can be asked not only to draw individual answers, but also to persuade deep-seated insights into the real issues at hand. His result remains a frequently used tool in a broad series of discussions.

The trial of Socrates was based on two disreputable and indistinct charges that were found to be disliked by the Greek culture; corrupting the youth and impiety. To be more specific about impiety, Socrates’ accusers mentioned two impious acts: introducing new deities and failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges.

In the first part, Socrates is in a conversation with Euthyphro, who is a professional priest, while on their way to court for Socrates’ trial. Euthyphro was going to the courthouse because he was about to prosecute his father for murdering one of his servants who was also a murderer that killed another fellow slave. Being charged with impiety, and having a priest with him that claims to know what piety is, Socrates takes the opportunity to learn from Euthyphro what piety is really about.

The first definition of piety that Euthyphro answers was what he is doing now, which is prosecuting his father and seeing that justice is done and what he’s doing to his father is pious. Socrates does no...

... middle of paper ...

...nally bring harm to himself or to those living around him. With the other charge of Socrates believing in strange spirits and not into the gods of the state, he traps Meletus into saying that spirits are the children of the gods.

In the end Socrates was found guilty a majority vote of several hundred jurymen. He jokingly suggested that if this is what he deserves then he should be served with a great meal. Socrates then argued that rather than be prison and exiled, he perhaps pay a fine but he had little funds to pay for the fine and with his proposal, the judges voted for the death penalty. The judges decided on the sentence of death by drinking hemlock. Socrates ends is Apology by saying that he cannot hold a grudge against those who accused him and asks them to care for his three sons as they grow older ensuring that they put goodness before selfish interests.