Corruption Of Socrates In Plato's Apology

To corrupt or damage the young is one of the most punishable crimes, for the young are our future. The Apology, written by Plato, is about Socrates debating for his life against several charges one being corrupting the young. Socrates began questioning the men considered wise in Athens after the oracle Pythian said there were none wiser than Socrates, as he went along it was found that these wise men, were in fact, not wise at all (21-22). While Socrates questioned crowds grew and people began to follow him and listen to what he had to say, many young men of rich families followed him. Theses rich families were not fond of the questioning Socrates did, and less so with their sons following him (23b-c). It will be argued that Socrates did not …show more content…
This slander included corrupting the young and not believing in the Gods, both of these Socrates disputed to be false accusations. Socrates had many arguments to support his innocents, several are as follows. Socrates expressed to his jury that his accusers were in fact numerous and had slandered his name in many ways and for a long time, he said: “they spoke to you at an age when you would most readily believe them, some of you being children or adolescents, and they won their case by default, as there was no defense (18c).” Socrates is saying, in my opinion, that the men slandering him were only able to convince the young of Socrates so proclaimed wrong doings because they were in fact young. These accusers and slanderers used their audience’s youth against them and to persuade them, for who would question a high standing man at a young age when he tells you another man is corrupt? These are the men you believe and do not question, or get put on trial yourself. Socrates goes on to address his jury and remind them that they all have heard him speak and question …show more content…
Even with death looming over him Socrates says: “No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they know that it is the greatest of evils. And surely it is the most blameworthy ignorance to believe that one knows what one does not know (29b).” In my eyes this is quite profound and a slight jab at his accusers, this is because throughout his defense Socrates speaks of the wise not really being wise because they do not know what they do not know and in a way he is comparing his accusers who fear death to the unwise wise men he has questioned. Socrates also states to the jury that if he is put to death they will never find another like him (30e) and they are wrong to believe that killing people they will prevent anyone from reproaching them for not living the right way (39d). Although Socrates was sentenced to death he offers to speak and question anyone in attendance before his final moments and with this offer Socrates’s innocence in corrupting the young is clear to