Socrates Freedom Of Speech Analysis

Socrates Jurors of the Dikasteria, I must ask you all, what defines Athens? Is it our powerful navy which make us champions at sea? Our architectural masterpieces to the gods? Or perhaps our victorious tales on the battlefield against the villainous Spartans? Nay, it is not our navy, monuments, nor our courageous valor which principally defines Athens, but our democracy. We pride ourselves in the democracy Athens has cultivated, and we will fight to the death to defend all her rights. However, we contradict our greatest pride by putting this innocent man, Socrates, on trial. How can we claim to be champions of democracy if we censor our citizens and silence their voices? To take away our citizens’ freedom of speech would be equal to abandoning …show more content…
“Freedom, tolerance, generosity, intelligence, hopefulness, and bravery” are the values which we espouse (Carnes et al., p. 37). Removing freedom of speech, a cornerstone of our polis, would lead to instability in our polis and the downfall of Athens. No respectable citizen in their right mind should dare to endanger our democracy by supporting the censorship of any of our fellow Athenian brothers, even if we disagree with what they say. As Pericles said, “[We are] far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, [and] we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor for doing what he likes” (Carnes et al., p. 91). Socrates may aggravate us to no end, but that does not mean we should punish …show more content…
Even Pericles himself acknowledged that the “ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens” (Carnes et al., p. 91). What keeps our Athenian brothers in check is the safeguards we have had in place for centuries- societal rules. To prevent us from abusing our freedoms, our forefathers taught us “to obey the magistrates and the laws… whether they are actually on the state book, or belonged to that code… unwritten” (Carnes et al., p. 91). Breaking the laws chiseled in stone is of course a serious offense which will be met with proper punishment, but Socrates has not broken any laws. He may annoy us all with his slew of never ending questions, but that does not warrant for the Thrasybulan and Periclean Democrats to take legal action against Socrates. Regardless of what impassioned arguments the Democrats may make, we must realize that Socrates is an innocent citizen who does not pose an imminent threat to the city-state of