Was Socrates Guilty?

Question

Was Socrates guilty of charges of pursuit of human knowledge and corrupting youth? Was he actually guilty of the charges? Why was he guilty?

This isn't an assignment, just me trying to understand philosophy.

Answer 1

Yes

Socrates lived during the time of the transition from the height of the Athenian Empire to its decline with the defeat by Sparta and its allies in the Peloponnesian War. At a time when Athens was seeking to stabilize and recover from its humiliating defeat, the Athenian public may have been entertaining doubts about democracy as an efficient form of government. Socrates appears to have been a critic of democracy, and his trial is interpreted by some scholars to be an expression of political infighting. Socrates was in any case a scapegoat, a man who willingly or not, pays for the sins of his society with his own blood.

Despite claiming death-defying loyalty to his city, Socrates' pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the current course of Athenian politics and society. Here it is telling to refer to Thucydides: "Applause, in a word, went to one who got in first with some evil act, and to him who cheered on another to attempt some crime that he was not thinking of." [1] He praises Sparta, arch rival to Athens, directly and indirectly in various dialogs. But perhaps the most historically accurate of Socrates' offenses to the city was his position as a social and moral critic. Rather than upholding a status quo and accepting the development of immorality within his region, Socrates worked to undermine the collective notion of "might makes right" so common to Greece during this period. Plato refers to Socrates as the gadfly of the state, insofar as he aggravated the establishment with considerations of justice and the pursuit of goodness. His attempts to improve the Athenian's allegiance to justice may have been the source of his execution.

According to Plato's Apology, Socrates' life as the "gadfly" of Athens began when his friend Chaerephon asked the oracle at Delphi if anyone was wiser than Socrates; the Oracle responded negatively. Socrates, interpreting this as a riddle, set out to find men who were wiser than he was. He questioned the men of Athens about their knowledge of good, beauty, and virtue. Finding that they knew nothing and yet believed themselves to know much, Socrates came to the conclusion that he was wise only in so far as he knew that he knew nothing. Socrates' paradoxical wisdom made the prominent Athenians he publicly questioned look foolish, turning them against him and leading to accusations of wrongdoing.

He was nevertheless found guilty as charged, and sentenced to death by drinking a mix of the poisonous hemlock. Socrates turned down the pleas of his disciples to attempt an escape from prison. According to the Phaedo, Socrates had a calm death, enduring his sentence with fortitude. The Roman philosopher Seneca attempted to emulate Socrates' death by hemlock when forced to commit suicide by the Emperor Nero.

According to Xenophon and Plato, Socrates had an opportunity to escape, as his followers were able to bribe the prison guards. After escaping, Socrates would have had to flee from Athens. However, Socrates refused to escape for several reasons. 1. He believed that such a flight would indicate a fear of death, which he believed no true philosopher has. 2. Even if he did leave, he, and his teaching, would fare no better in another country. 3. Having knowingly agreed to live under the city's laws, he implicitly subjected himself to the possibility of being accused of crimes by its citizens and judged guilty by its jury. To do otherwise would have caused him to break his 'contract' with the state, and by so doing harming it, an act contrary to Socratic principle. The full reasoning behind his refusal to flee is the main subject of The Crito.

Answer 2

I think he was a very talkative fellow with a lot of free time on hand to stop passer-bys and get into unnecessary arguments. If you consider that that was his guilt then he was guilty. My uncle is very much like him so we rarely invite him but we don't poison him if you know what I mean.

Answer 3

yes he was guilty. He was leading youth away from traditional values and causing them to question their society. The obvious question is why asking questions would be a crime. That was the most important question he wanted them to think about. He felt it was worth dying to have that question posed.

Answer 4

He was smart and was guilty of going against the status quo, although in my opinion that is not necessarily wrong.

Answer 5

Seriously, your teacher is asking your opinion. Form one.

Answer 6

I am telling you pal, reading is much much much easier than net surfing! believe me!

Answer 7

He was not guilty.

Answer 8

Do your own homework.