“The unexamined life is not worth living.”1 -Plato’s Apology, 38a This now famous line, which Socrates spoke at his trial, has rippled throughout Western Civilization. If I could sum up Socrates’ legacy in one maxim, it would be […]
Tag Archives: Greek Philosophy
5. Socrates an Ambassador of Truth to Athens
Previously, I discussed how Socrates was convicted of “corrupting the youth” and “impiety.”1 He was accused of impiety because he tried to expand the meaning of piety beyond mere ceremony into intellectual understanding and the development of virtue. What good is honoring the gods if you are ignorant of what you are doing and […]
4. Socrates the Humble Revolutionary
Socrates Upsets the Status Quo In the previous post, we saw that there were real and contrived reasons for why Socrates was brought to trial. Even though he was implicated in support of the previous tyrannical regime, he probably would have been fine if he had kept his head down and stayed under the radar. […]
3. Socrates the Wisest Man in Athens
Why was Socrates executed? He was tried in front of 501 of his Athens peers who, acting as judge and jury, declared him guilty and sentenced him to death.1
2. Socrates’ Death and the Triumph of Reason
On the appointed day of his death, Socrates, at 70 years old, is in a jail in Athens, Greece. His friends and family are allowed to see him. Socrates calmly discusses matters of the afterlife before drinking the hemlock.