My Fellow Athenians: We are here to discuss the trial of a man called Socrates. The charges against him are corrupting the youth and claims that he doesn’t worship the gods of the city. I find these charges, given the accusers, laughable. The radical democrats charge Socrates with corrupting the youth yet how can thy prove this? What gives them evidence that would show that Socrates rather then they is the one that is attempting to corrupt the youth? The radical democrats want to instill a public education for the teaching of “democratic values.” According to Athenian tradition, unless the education is by a Sophist, is has been the responsibility of the father to educate his sons. Will this new form of education not strip the father of his right as such, the father? These children will come home with these notions of what is right or just or “democratic” according to what the teacher (no doubt an “esteemed” radical democrat) feels the need to teach. This will bring exactly the opposite of what we have valued from our youth. We should be focusing on teaching our children obedience to their parents. We would be fools to hope for obedient children under this system of education. Is this not corruption? When your own child comes home to inform you that according to his teacher, you are an unjust man and an unfit citizen, has a youth this insolent not been corrupted? I can find no better word to describe it than corruption.
Yet they choose to charge another man with this. Socrates has not actually claimed to teach anything. He receives no payment. He has not himself proposed the school that you claim will corrupt the youth. This was merely one of his followers. He did not seek out his followers. Upon seeing his wisdom, they deemed this a desirable and worthy attribute and so decided to pursue it themselves. He does not stand before people and present information. He merely formulates discussion. He asks questions. Are we going to try a man for asking questions? The answer is yes, but I pray to the gods that we don’t convict a man for such an offense.
As for not following the gods of the city, this statement makes no sense whatsoever. Socrates lives his life based on the gods. The only reason he continues to gain more wisdom and asks questions is because he feels as though this is the task set before him by the gods. He was deemed (although I will admit this is questionable) to be the wisest man by the oracle at Delphi. When inquiring as to why he was the wisest, he was answered with the reason that unlike other men who thought they knew something, Socrates recognizes that he knows nothing. He thus takes this to mean that he is doing the gods’ will according to him. How may I ask, is this any behavior of a man who does not follow the gods? Socrates shows in his very daily activities that he supports the gods by continuing his role. This is not a way of life from which one can profit monetarily. There is no other explanation for his behavior other than pleasing the gods.
Dear people, I implore you not to convict an innocent man. He has in no manner attempted to corrupt the youth. He has proposed nothing that would indoctrinate his thoughts into the youth. The school proposed is not even his. One cannot claim that he is corrupting through teaching when he has neither established a school nor received payment for teaching services. He is merely a man who asks questions. Where the gods are concerned, he more than most shows his support and dedication. Few of us will devote ourselves to a life of poverty and the pursuit of wisdom. It would appear that this is the gods’ wish for Socrates as according to the oracle at Delphi. How can we punish such a man?
Yet they choose to charge another man with this. Socrates has not actually claimed to teach anything. He receives no payment. He has not himself proposed the school that you claim will corrupt the youth. This was merely one of his followers. He did not seek out his followers. Upon seeing his wisdom, they deemed this a desirable and worthy attribute and so decided to pursue it themselves. He does not stand before people and present information. He merely formulates discussion. He asks questions. Are we going to try a man for asking questions? The answer is yes, but I pray to the gods that we don’t convict a man for such an offense.
As for not following the gods of the city, this statement makes no sense whatsoever. Socrates lives his life based on the gods. The only reason he continues to gain more wisdom and asks questions is because he feels as though this is the task set before him by the gods. He was deemed (although I will admit this is questionable) to be the wisest man by the oracle at Delphi. When inquiring as to why he was the wisest, he was answered with the reason that unlike other men who thought they knew something, Socrates recognizes that he knows nothing. He thus takes this to mean that he is doing the gods’ will according to him. How may I ask, is this any behavior of a man who does not follow the gods? Socrates shows in his very daily activities that he supports the gods by continuing his role. This is not a way of life from which one can profit monetarily. There is no other explanation for his behavior other than pleasing the gods.
Dear people, I implore you not to convict an innocent man. He has in no manner attempted to corrupt the youth. He has proposed nothing that would indoctrinate his thoughts into the youth. The school proposed is not even his. One cannot claim that he is corrupting through teaching when he has neither established a school nor received payment for teaching services. He is merely a man who asks questions. Where the gods are concerned, he more than most shows his support and dedication. Few of us will devote ourselves to a life of poverty and the pursuit of wisdom. It would appear that this is the gods’ wish for Socrates as according to the oracle at Delphi. How can we punish such a man?
posted by Lucius Flavus (Shannon) | 11:27 AM
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