The Apology of Socrates: Guilty or Innocent? Essay -- Philosophy essay

The Apology of Socrates Guilty or clean-handed? In any case of law, when considering truth and justice, one must low gear look at the validity of the court and the system itself. In Socrates case, the view is no different. One may be said to be illegal or naive of any crime, but guilt or pureness is only as valid as the court it is subjected to. Therefore, in considering whether Socrates is guilty or not, it must be kept in mind the norms and standards of capital of Greece at that time, and the validity of his accusers and the crimes he allegedly committed. Is Socrates guilty or innocent of his accusations? What exactly is Socrates being accused of? Socrates is guilty of engaging in inquiries into things down the stairs the earth and in the heavens, of making the weaker argument appear the stronger, and of teaching others these same(p) things (29). Socrates is charged with impiety, a person who does not believe in the gods of Athens. Socrates defends this charge, claiming that he was propositioned by the gods through the Oracle of Delphi, to question peoples wisdom. He states, ...but when god stationed me, as I supposed and assumed, ordering me to live philosophizing and examining myself and others...that my whole wish is to commit no unjust or impious deed. By claiming that defense, Socrates manages to mold Meletus toward his point. This point being that Socrates cannot both be atheistic and to believe in demons, for this would contradict his not believing in gods at all, s... ... a evil matter nor a strain on the Athenian society, but a challenge to an oppressive and aristocracy ruling class. Socrates became a symbol of truthful wisdom and knowledge, a symbol that needed to be disposed of for the elites to bear on the power holders in society. Works Cited and Consulted Plato. The Apology of Socrates. West, Thomas G. and West, Grace Starry, eds. Plato and Aristophanes quartet Texts on Socrates. Itacha, NY Cornell University Press, 1997 Plato. Literature of the Western World, Volume 1. 5th edition by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001. 1197-1219. Plato. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Volume I. sixth ed. NY W.W. Norton and Co., 1992. 726-746.