OPPapers.com Essay Index >> Philosophy >> The Trial Of Socrates
We have many free term papers and essays on The Trial Of Socrates. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
... During the trial Socrates explained "This is irreverent conduct for either of us."
This essay will explain in detail the Apology as well as focus on Socrates ...
... established reputations. Throughout the trial, Socrates approaches why he has
developed a bad reputation with the city of Athens. He states ...
... courts. At one point during the trial, Socrates compares himself to a gadfly
stinging a lazy horse representing Athens. He explains ...
Trial of Socrates. In the trial of Socrates I am going to show that the defendant
is not guilty on the first charge of corrupting the youth. ...
... This inquisition led Socrates to have many enemies. (Apology, 3) During the
trial Socrates referred several times to the force of truth. ...
Submitted by cmp027 on June 29, 2008
Category: Philosophy
Words: 3769 | Pages: 16
Views: 36
Popularity Rank: 114,942
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
The Trial of Socrates
by Doug Linder (2002)
The trial and execution of of Socrates in Athens in 399 B.C.E. puzzles historians. Why, in a society enjoying more freedom and democracy than any the world had ever seen, would a seventy-year-old philosopher be put to death for what he was teaching? The puzzle is all the greater because Socrates had taught--without molestation--all of his adult life. What could Socrates have said or done than prompted a jury of 500 Athenians to send him to his death just a few years before he would have died naturally?
Finding an answer to the mystery of the trial of Socrates is complicated by the fact that the two surviving accounts of the defense (or apology) of Socrates both come from disciples of his, Plato and Xenophon. Historians suspect that Plato and Xenophon, intent on showing their master in a favorable light, failed to present in their accounts the most damning evidence against Socrates.
What appears almost certain is that the decisions to prosecute and ultimately convict Socrates had a lot to do with the turbulent history of Athens in the several years preceding his trial. An examination of that history may not provide final answers, but it does provide important clues.
BACKGROUND
Socrates, the son of a sculptor (or stonecutter) and a midwife, was a young boy when the rise to power of Pericles brought on the dawning of the "Golden Age of Greece." As a young man, Socrates saw a fundamental power shift, as Pericles--perhaps history's first liberal politician--acted on his belief that the masses, and not just property-owning aristocrats, deserved liberty. Pericles created the people's courts and used the public treasury to promote the arts. He pushed ahead with an unprecedented building program designed not only to demonstrate the glory that was Greece, but also to ensure full employment and provide opportunities for wealth creation...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!