Plato’s Apology

According to Socrates' explanation in his apologies, a daimon is a decent person and an inner intuition of doing good, whereas a divine item is a holy substance or sensation. We can see from Socrates' trial how his arguments might be consistent with his convictions. In-depth discussion of Socrates' ideas, their significance, and how they have permeated modern democracies and society as a whole is the goal of this study.
to benefit the most from this research. The paper is structured into three main sections, each of which has a subsection based on one of the assignment's questions. In the first section, it provides an account of how Socrates quotes are relevant in his trial and how they influenced the passing of his judgment. In the second section, it discusses the contradiction pointed out by Socrates between the daimons (people who lead a virtuous life) and the public sphere (a crucial element of any democratic regime). Lastly, the paper concludes by making a connection to the events described in the first and second section to the modern-day democracies.

Socrates Quotes and Their Relevance to His Trial.

One belief of Socrates from his quote is that a person does not need to be a politician to enlighten his people. From the first remark in his apology, he says, “…. for you know men of Athens, that if I had tried to engage in politics, I would have perished long ago and have benefitted neither you nor myself.” (Plato, 9)

Being a free thinker, Socrates believed in the independence of the mind; the people were to be free from political slavery. Having been born in a humble background, Socrates believed there should be a change in the leadership of the Greeks. “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” as described by C.E. in his book The Lives of Eminent Philosophers.

The powers that be, led by the famous Meletus who was a resident staged an accusation against Socrates. They were not happy with Socrates teachings bringing up his trial and subsequent judgment. The philosopher was found of two charges; one is impiety, i.e., failure to recognize and acknowledge the gods that the people in the city of Athens were worshipping and introducing new deities/gods. Secondly, he was accused of enhancing anti-government politically motivated philosophical thoughts that were not regime friendly. These two indictments will form a real foundation for this study.

In his second remark, Socrates tries to lure people not to reject him since he claims to speak the truth. However, he doesn’t get the mercy of the public opinion because his sentence isn’t protected by the same people he has been educating of their rights. “Please don’t resent me if I tell you the truth” He urges the people to desist from following an unlawful and undemocratic regime of the country by that time. He says that if someone opposes an unjust system is deemed to die sooner than later. Socrates outspoken philosophy against “moral corruption” was not welcome by even the Athenians themselves, for instance;

Diogenes Laertius reported that Socrates "discussed ethical questions in the workshops and the marketplace." (Laertius, 2000). Often his unpopular views expressed disdainfully and with an air of condescension, provoked his listeners to anger. Laertius wrote that "men set upon him with their fists or tore his hair out," but that Socrates "bore all this ill-usage patiently.” (Laertius, 2000)

The resultant effects of Socrates teachings were therefore termed unintelligent and accused of forming a “so ratified “militia group aimed at disrespecting the divinities of the land and the authorities of the city of Athens in totality. Historians and other philosophers argue that Socrates wasn’t a democrat neither a liberal. However, he believed in people to be self-governing. i.e., the people were to be virtually equipped with knowledge through their thought logic thereby creating a liberal-minded, responsible and just society. He believes that the pattern of human thought was very fundamental in developing a society free from anti-democratic, unjust and unlawful acts.

On the other hand, competitor intellectuals rejected Socrates’s method of intellectual fulfillment, formation, and inquiry, this was because his questions threatened. their “ credibility as men of wisdom and virtue.” ( Note: this was most likely adopted by these scholars to avoid being victimized by the then authorities to the citizens thought to be pro Socrates ideology). Despite facing hostility from the Athenians in the first phase of his teachings, he later gained momentum and the powers that be called for his persecution. It is recorded that after the collapse of the Thirty Tyrants (404-403 BC), Socrates had gained quite a good number of youths who subscribed to his school of the philosophical ideology of democracy and equitable distribution of resources.



“Socrates' elenctic method was often imitated by the young men of Athens.”

To a significant margin, Socrates was prosecuted for two primary atrocities as purported by his accusers. It’s important to note that in Athens criminal proceedings could be initiated by citizens, in this case, Meletus, a resident and a poet of Athens initiated Socrates prosecution. He offered oral submissions to Socrates in the presence of several witnesses. Either side was given a chance to defend their case. Socrates was found guilty of refusing to recognize the gods stated by the state, and of introducing new divinities. He was also guilty of corrupting the youth. The penalty passed to him was death. The prosecution of Socrates and subsequent death sentence is what is recorded in books of history as Plato’s apology.

The Contradiction Pointed out by Socrates between the Daimons and the Public Sphere.

In Plato’s Apology, Socrates points out a contradiction between the people who have divine power to change the status quo of the Athenians against the public sphere who take a significant role in the making of democratic governments. From the first quote, Socrates believes that daimons have the zeal and power to change the societal expectations without necessarily being in influential positions. He says “…a divine, and the daimonic thing comes to me it’s something that began happening to me since childhood…” (Plato, 9) It implies that there are people who can educate the masses on their rights. It only requires courage. Now, the outright contradiction given in the quotes is that the people are the ones who initiated his prosecution and subsequent death sentence. It is ironical in that, Socrates himself stood for the common man in Athenians who had nothing other than the aristocratic ruling class that owned property and nearly all the treasurable of the city.

The people are much ready to settle for an oppressive system of governance without question. The public sphere fears the people they have trusted with power. “From among these men, Meletus attacked me, and Anytus and Lycon, Meletus being vexed on behalf of the poets, Anytus in the name of the craftsmen and the politicians, and Lycon on behalf of 24 the orators, are very dangerous”. (Plato, 4)

Thirdly, it’s contradicting that the people entrusted with governance do not educate their people. From the excerpt below, we can easily deduce that Meletus does not have a clue of what management and participation of the public in such cases involve.

“Come now, tell these men, who make them better? For it is clear that you know, since you care, at least. For since you have discovered the one who corrupts them, as you say, namely me, you are bringing me before these men and accusing me. But the one who makes them better—come, tell them and reveal to them who it is. Do you see, Meletus, that you are silent and have nothing to say? And yet does it not seem to be shameful to you, and a sufficient proof of just what I say, that you have never cared? But tell, my good man, who makes them better? (Plato, 5)

The MELETUS laws.

“But I am not asking this, best of men, but rather what are a human being is it who knows first of all this very thing the laws? “The ruling class are ignorant that the people they lead are conversant with the law and therefore any slight deviation will end up into prosecution.” (Plato, 5)

It is recorded that Socrates was beaten up by the same people he tried enlightening. Laertius wrote that "men set upon him with their fists or tore his hair out," but that Socrates "bore all this ill-usage patiently." (Laertius, 2000). We can confidently argue that Socrates stood for a course that the people in the city of Athens didn’t understand citing their resistance and warring nature on Socrates. Colaiaco's concludes that impiety received more prosecutorial attention than did political sins rests on Plato's Apology. It is, therefore, true that whoever tries to enlighten the public sphere should do so in private. It is practically impossible since it entails the masses, one who ventures in having an informed citizenry is due to prosecution and victimization. (Colaiaco's, 2002)

“….. I do not do injustice according to Meletus’ indictment, does not seem to me to require much of a defense speech, but even this is sufficient. But what I was saying earlier—that I have incurred much hatred, and among many men—know well that this is true…” (Plato,7)

In Plato’s apology, it’s argued that such social injustices will one day come to a stop with people praising the founders of such mental liberty and liberalism that will facilitate breeding of responsible citizenry. A public sphere that will demand good governance from its leaders and equitable society in resource allocation, education and open-mindedness minus victimization and prosecution like it happened to Socrates (Stone et al. 1995).

In summary, in the quotes provided, we can say that daimons (those who lead a virtuous life) are prone to intimidation from the ruling class since they oppose unjust and unlawful practices. While the public sphere is ignorant of its rights and hence playing victims to the authorities minus questioning them. The lack of accountability on the side of leaders should not be accepted since power corrupts. However, we can draw meaningful points from Socrates trial and Plato’s apology and relate them to modern day democracies as discussed below.

Socrates Pessimism Regarding a Daimon in Active Politics.

I agree with Socrates pessimism that daimons are very hard to make it in the political field. It is because most of the elected leaders are not willing to quit power. Best examples lie within the African continent, for instance in Zimbabwe the opposition leader Morgan Richard who stands for democracy and equality of all in the country is always tortured and mistreated anytime by President Mugabe’s government. It’s imperative to note that the African nation hasn’t had a change in leadership since it gained independence with Mr. Robert Mugabe as her first president up to date.

In the USA, some leaders have been assassinated for being independent-minded on world matters, for instance, J.F Kennedy is reported to have been murdered for his stand against the use of nuclear power in the just concluded World War II. (Jennifer, 2016). From the above examples, we can argue out that indeed people with virtuous are rarely given a chance in the political field. However, an exception is noted in South Africa when Nelson Mandela successfully made the country’s transition to a full African state-owned nation.

Plato’s autobiography and presentation of some facts about the trial and death of Socrates have consequently inspired the writers, artists, and philosophers to revisit the matter. Critics argue that Plato called Socrates “the wisest and most just of all men” is a misgiving that comes with democracy, while others hold the idea that Athenian actions were a justifiable defense of the newly rebranded and re-established democracy. Stone argues that Socrates might have wanted to be sentenced to death to justify his philosophic opposition to the Athenian democracy of that time. Secondly, he believes since he was old enough, he opted to face the death sentence since he probably had few days left for him before demise.

References

Berna’s, Richard, Cond. Socrates. Erick Satie. LTM/Boutique. (2006)

Jennifer L. Goss. USA President Kennedy Assassination. (2016)

I.F. Stone. The Trial of Socrates. New York. (1988)

Irvine, Andrew David. Socrates on trial. University of Toronto Press. (2008)

James A. Colaiaco’s. Socrates Against Athens. (2002)

Kerferd, G.B. The Sophistic Movement. New York: Cambridge University Press. (2009).6.

Laertius, Diogenes. Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. The year retrieved (2000)

Plato. The apology Plato. Introduction to western philosophy. Retrieved the year (2000). P 1-15

Thomas G. West, Plato’s Apology of Socrates: Cornell University, published by Cornell University Press.

 Waterfield, Robin. Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, (2009)