One of the greatest pieces of ancient philosophical writing is
without question the Apology written by Plato sometime during
4th century B.C.E in Greece. It tells of the trial of Socrates,
Plato’s teacher, who was accused of corrupting the youth and
spreading false beliefs of the gods and higher thoughts. It is a
powerful tale of one man standing up for what he believes in and
facing foe and friend alike in a moral dispute of what is life
truly worth. With such views and beliefs so firmly upheld and
fought for and against, it is clearly a powerful philosophical
piece that challenges the limits of man’s desires and wants with
the needs of man’s search for self value and upheld views. For
all the criticism that Socrates endures for his actions, both at
the time and the repercussions of analysis year after year, he
still stands for one of the most determined, honest and
thoughtful of all philosophers. For this, Socrates is indeed
successful in his defense during his trial from the Apology.
To fully understand the impact Socrates will have by his own
death, there must be some insight and study of the historical
period of the time. He lived during a time where the
Mediterranean, Greece and particularly Athens were under a great
moment of change, evolution and resolution of many situations.
Years of battle and war had taken a long toll on society in
Athens and Greece, stripping away some of the stronger more
vocal characters and giving passage to a more conservative,
necessity-minded government. Yet Socrates did not follow in such
a path. Instead he lead his own way, and in doing so broke the
dull and tiring thinking of many. It is important to remember
his inquisitive and creative nature in looking at how effective
his words and stance in the Apology truly are.
Socrates was charged with corrupting the youth by thought and
philosophy, but to him he was only teaching them an insight to
life. This was his mission. He aimed to make a change, to lift
those that wanted to be lifted up over the mortal boundaries of
politics, science, religion, and such things, and to gain a kind
of thought that went deeper than any. It was philosophy, and he
wanted to teach others how to come to realize their purpose in
life, how the world works and fails to work, and to analyze what
it means to be human and therefore mortal. It was not an easy
task, and he did not have a large group goal in mind, so he
taught simply by word and questioning, walking around and
intriguing others with thought and interest. Those who did not
agree with such teachings or questioning, whether they thought
it was wrong to question the gods or lead the youth away from
the more cultural and social debate and beliefs, accused
Socrates of impiety and vice.
The actual trial is a very unique moment in time. Though what
history has is by Plato’s words, it gives an account of an
almost arrogant man standing up against a whole city or so of
accusers. This is so even when he says that a man’s true wisdom
is determined by his realization of lack of wisdom. It is his
condescending aura of realizing he does not know that upsets and
insults many of his peers and accusers.
In his examination of Meletus, Socrates is able to turn the
tides so to say. He, by using the very words of Meletus and not
misleading the jury and audience, pulls out the truth that
Meletus, like Socrates and any man, seek a greater knowledge and
understanding of themselves and those surrounding. By such
examples and critics, Socrates shows that he is really not a
different man in his ways. He has the same concerns and views
towards mankind, the same dreams and hopes, but he does not hide
behind what society has created for him. He examines everything
for himself, a desire many man have and that Meletus too shows,
and defines himself as not being better than the rest of the
world, but just more determined and focused. It is his thirst
for knowledge along with his viewpoint that he can not truly
understand or realize his own wisdom that feed him the very
wisdom he has, and in sense his modesty and humbleness allow him
to view his own life from an almost outside-of-body experience.
On the other hand, Meletus and the others, though striving still
and aiming for goodness and virtue in deeds, can not fully reach
this until they realize their mortal state of ignorance in many
matters of life.
The counter penalty that he proposes, for the state to support
his actions and beliefs, seems quite absurd at first glance. Why
would a man even propose the state to first, not only admit that
they were wrong in their accusations and he was right, but also
second, to reward him for breaking what they consider their
rules and for being defiant. But it is this almost comical irony
or foolishness that really helps to show Socrates true
intentions. Though not all will agree, it appears to be his
final punch at the state. In his words, he sums up how he feels:
that he is angered that he is being so criticized and condemned
for being who he is and doing his best to help others. Not
everyone sees this, but it is clear that Socrates is being true
to himself, helping others realize who they are and what they
want from life, and for this he is punished.
Socrates took the final and only logical path at the end of his
life. He accepts that he must, by society’s judgment, die for
his philosophical and questionable lifestyle that supposedly
lead the youth astray from the true forms of civilization and
culture. He does not falter in his character or ethical views on
what he has done. He stays true to himself and his beliefs. He
does run away or beg for mercy like some fool who would
inevitably be admitting to his own downfalls and mistakes in
life. He saw his death as a honorable end to a life of
philosophical pursuit. Though he may very well have feared it
like any mortal, he saw the value and worth of it more than many
men can ever say. It was not an end to him, but rather a
beginning. A moment to start the beginning of his legacy of
thought and teachings, to bring a new light to the world of man
and give hope for those who strive more than what society tells
them they can do. It was a way to smile at the accusers and the
deliverers of his death and let them know that they had not one.
All his teaches would be immortalized by this one act, that even
in death he would not change his lifestyle or thought, and in
doing so understood his place in the world.
In the end, Socrates chooses death to be better than any other
punishment for his alleged crimes. He truly realizes his mortal
status and accepts his own character of behavior and thought.
His death only affects him physically, in that he will not be
alive to see its true repercussions, but for those still alive
and those that will follow after him for centuries, this act of
the state shows a great betrayal to man itself. It is a moment
that stands as one where society as a whole denies society as an
individual, where what is seen best for people to truly grow and
change the world is spit on by the need for mindless unity,
political greed and succor, and the unquenchable power of
religious forces. In both light and shadow of the trial,
accusations and philosophical defense, Socrates still stands as
the foundation to Western philosophy.