Socrates, was persecuted by the Athenians for his religious
beliefs. When he was over seventy years old he was brought to a public trial
and condemned to death. He was accused of looking into the great mysteries of
heaven and earth, and corruption of the youth. He did not believe in
worshipping the gods of the city because he believed that they were not real.
He was accused of introducing new deities.
The last part of this accusation was due to his offering
more rational perceptions of the deity than were allowed by the established
beliefs of his country. He argued against the corruptions and superstitions
that were universally practiced by the Greeks. His opinions were called
corrupting the youth who were his students.
Socrates wisdom created many enemies among the general
public. The spreading of reports concerning him led to his disadvantage. He was
prejudicing himself in the mind of his judges. When he was brought to trial
several of his accusers were not named, which led him to complain that it was like fighting a shadow. Not knowing who his accusers were made it
impossible for any such person to answer his questions. However, he maintained his innocence and said
that he did believe in a God. As proof of his belief, he bravely spoke to his
judges. I will obey God rather than you,
and teach my philosophy as long as I live.
After being condemned for impiety and atheism, he drank a
draught of poison rather than allowing the authorities to execute him.
The judges and the accusers were not priests. They were the
laity; members of the public. The priests had no share in the accusations,
condemnation, and death of Socrates. Nor was there any need of the priesthood
in this affair. Religion was written in the constitution of the Athenian
Government. It was part of the laws in the civil communities. One such law
stated: Let it be a perpetual law and
binding at all times, to worship our
national gods and heroes publicly, according to the laws of our ancestors.
No new gods or doctrines could be introduced without incurring the penalty of
death.
When Socrates, pleaded in the Grand Council of Athens in 399
B.C., it reminded the council of the customs and practice of their
ancestors.
The civil establishment of religion in Athens was exclusive.
No toleration was allowed to those who differ in beliefs. On this account, the
philosophers, by public decree, were banished from Athens for teaching how to
think and to give opinions. It was considered to be corrupting the minds of
youth in matters of religion. According to the Athenian Constitution, Socrates
was condemned for not believing in the gods of his country and presuming to
have better understanding of the deities than his superiors.
Socrates was the first great Athenian philosopher. He taught that the key to the good life lay in moral worth and the practice of virtue. He believed it was his duty to make other citizens aware of their ignorance of the true good. He wrote nothing down, and all knowledge of his teaching comes from the philosophy of his pupil, Plato, who was 29 years old when Socrates died. All Plato's major works are in dialogue form, and the foremost speaker was usually Socrates. It is assumed that in the earlier dialogues the real historical speaker was Socrates, while the later dialogues represents Plato's mature development of the teachings of Socrates.
Throughout his career Plato remained convinced by the teachings of Socrates, and continued to identify virtue with knowledge. However, the corresponding belief - that evil is inevitably done by the ignorant - was probably the reason for Plato's distrust of democracy, because he believed democracy had convicted Socrates at the time. However, in Plato's The Republic, he doesn't mention the state laws that persecuted Socrates were based on state laws and pagan religion.
Socrates was the first great Athenian philosopher. He taught that the key to the good life lay in moral worth and the practice of virtue. He believed it was his duty to make other citizens aware of their ignorance of the true good. He wrote nothing down, and all knowledge of his teaching comes from the philosophy of his pupil, Plato, who was 29 years old when Socrates died. All Plato's major works are in dialogue form, and the foremost speaker was usually Socrates. It is assumed that in the earlier dialogues the real historical speaker was Socrates, while the later dialogues represents Plato's mature development of the teachings of Socrates.
Throughout his career Plato remained convinced by the teachings of Socrates, and continued to identify virtue with knowledge. However, the corresponding belief - that evil is inevitably done by the ignorant - was probably the reason for Plato's distrust of democracy, because he believed democracy had convicted Socrates at the time. However, in Plato's The Republic, he doesn't mention the state laws that persecuted Socrates were based on state laws and pagan religion.
Socrates's thoughts survived through the writings of his pupil, Plato
Surrounded by his pupils, Socrates prepares to take hemlock. He had been condemned for allegedly corrupting the young through his teachings.
