In 399 B.C Socrates, a Greek Philosopher, had been sentenced to death after being found guilty to heresy and corrupting the minds of the young. This trial heavily depended on the unpopularity of Socrates, due to him having wounded the pride of many prominent men in Athens. Plato’s writings of Socrates on Trial displays Socrates’ criticism during his trial of both Athenian society and democracy by highlighting the biases of the people, and the flaws in the democracy of the time.
Socrates was a classical Greek Philosopher who lived from 469 to 399 B.C. He has been renowned throughout history for his contributions to the fields of ethics and epistemology, and is considered one of the founders of Western Philosophy. Throughout his life he taught …show more content…
He focuses on societies biased and false opinions towards him as well as their preferences for those who have more desirable physical attributes. Socrates explains that those who do not like or agree with him were planted with their opinions from a young age, and there was nobody to defend his character to these people, so those who did the convincing had essentially won their argument by default. This is coupled with his accusation that many people have not even heard Socrates speak, rather they’ve been told of things he has said. These arguments, he believes, should debunk the unpopular opinions towards him as mainly untrue rumors, and is a criticism on societies tendency to form harsh opinions on unfavourable people. The satirical play, The Clouds, by Aristophanes had been popular at the time of the trial and may have been an effect on the perception of Socrates’ practices and character. He mentions the play during his defense speech, saying it paints him with a bad image; that his sole efforts are to corrupt the minds of the youth, and to speak nonsense. This depiction of him made him unfavourable during the time of the trial, and heightened the publics view of him as a burden on society as well as a nuisance to be rid …show more content…
He believes society is flawed because there is no understanding of true justice, and people are biased and hostile to those who appear to be different to them. The democracy has become a broken system due to the fact that they often elect officials who have no care for the government or the people they serve. Those who are chosen to serve in the government are only appointed due to their pleasing appearances and speeches. These criticisms together imply that there was a broken system in Ancient Athens, and Socrates became a sacrifice, having been given the
Socrates was a classical Greek Philosopher who lived from 469 to 399 B.C. He has been renowned throughout history for his contributions to the fields of ethics and epistemology, and is considered one of the founders of Western Philosophy. Throughout his life he taught …show more content…
He focuses on societies biased and false opinions towards him as well as their preferences for those who have more desirable physical attributes. Socrates explains that those who do not like or agree with him were planted with their opinions from a young age, and there was nobody to defend his character to these people, so those who did the convincing had essentially won their argument by default. This is coupled with his accusation that many people have not even heard Socrates speak, rather they’ve been told of things he has said. These arguments, he believes, should debunk the unpopular opinions towards him as mainly untrue rumors, and is a criticism on societies tendency to form harsh opinions on unfavourable people. The satirical play, The Clouds, by Aristophanes had been popular at the time of the trial and may have been an effect on the perception of Socrates’ practices and character. He mentions the play during his defense speech, saying it paints him with a bad image; that his sole efforts are to corrupt the minds of the youth, and to speak nonsense. This depiction of him made him unfavourable during the time of the trial, and heightened the publics view of him as a burden on society as well as a nuisance to be rid …show more content…
He believes society is flawed because there is no understanding of true justice, and people are biased and hostile to those who appear to be different to them. The democracy has become a broken system due to the fact that they often elect officials who have no care for the government or the people they serve. Those who are chosen to serve in the government are only appointed due to their pleasing appearances and speeches. These criticisms together imply that there was a broken system in Ancient Athens, and Socrates became a sacrifice, having been given the