Monday, 10 October 2011

Trial of Socrates



While sitting here in Surrey reading Plato’s The Apology, I am put in the seat of the juror. I think to myself, “Wow, what an unfair trial, Socrates is innocent!”


….but wait, this isn’t Surrey, B.C. this is Athens, Greece and this isn’t the year 2011, this is some time in the ancient past which I am quite unfamiliar with.

Athens at the time of Socrates’s trial had different beliefs and systems of law from what it has now. Do I think the charges and the trial against Socrates are fair? Well, no I do not, but during the time of the trial, Socrates’s actions and beliefs would be an act against the law. Therefore, if I had been a citizen of Athens, I would find the charges and trial to be fair.

Meletus was prosecuting Socrates for corrupting the youth and “… inventing new gods and for not believing in the old ones” (Plato, 2), actions and beliefs which were frowned upon during that time. In the past when laws and certain beliefs were set by the system, it was important that everyone obeyed them because as soon as someone began disobeying that is when the order of the city or town began to deteriorate. I am not saying that obeying the law in the time we are living in today is unimportant but today it is more socially acceptable to go against the system to have your beliefs heard. An example of this would be protesting.

During this time in Athens, preaching new ideas and creating your own beliefs was not a right which Socrates held and I, as a citizen of Athens at that time, would frown upon him because simply I would not know any better. A young girl like me would certainly not be given the opportunity to think with an open mind. Therefore I cannot sit here today and apply the values of the 21st century upon a trial which took place in a completely different time period. Socrates would be found guilty through my eyes no matter what the factors of the case were.