Socrates Corruption In Plato's Apology

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Socrates believes that having knowledge on the world is a very important thing in life. In Plato’s Apology, Socrates wanted to show the people of Athens that not having the proper knowledge on life would lead to an unexamined life and that is what he tried teaching the children of Athens. People like Meletus and Cillias did not see it that way. That’s when Meletus put Socrates on trial for “corrupting the youth of Athens” (Plato’s Apology, 2016). The prosecutors believe he is corrupting the youth because he is an evil-doer, a curious person, and makes the bad things appear better than they are. Throughout this essay, I will be giving you examples of why I believe Socrates should not have been put to death for what he was trying to teach people. …show more content…
I don’t understand this at all because if Socrates is such an evil-doer then why was Socrates trying to teach the children something that even the Sophists couldn’t teach them. He wanted to teach the children the things that the Sophists couldn’t teach, but people like Callias would rather pay someone else to teach. Socrates mentions in his trial, “I came across a man who has spent a world of money on the Sophists” (Plato, 2016). Why would Callias rather pay someone to teach his children things that only Socrates could teach them? The people of Athens even accused him of taking money. They told him, “…for the report that I am a teacher, and take money” (Plato, 2016). If they believed that he was a teacher that took money, then why did people get so mad when he was trying to teach the children. This didn’t make any sense to me. His intentions were good. All he wanted to do was explain the reasoning behind an “examined” life and the knowledge on virtue and

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