“The Apology: Socrates’ Trial and Charges of Corrupting Athenian Youth”.
Plato’s “The Apology” represents one of his earliest known dialogues, delving into the trial of Socrates, who faces charges of blasphemy and corrupting the youth in this masterful literary work. The accusations against him revolve around his alleged teachings, which encouraged young minds to present weak arguments as strong and to believe in gods and idols not sanctioned by the state. In Aristophanes’ play, “The Clouds,” Socrates’ “sophistry” is amusingly satirized, portraying him as cunningly deceiving the youth, who paid him to impart subversive and childish behaviors, like choosing to fart instead of engaging in serious discourse.
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Unfortunately, the hostile art and theater productions of the time had the unintended consequence of magnifying preexisting beliefs, particularly among the older Athenian population, that this 70-year-old philosopher posed a significant threat to the state and should face trial. This raises questions about how Socrates managed to earn the enmity of an entire city, what kind of “idol” he worshiped, and what wicked teachings he might have imparted to the youth of Athens.
Socrates and the Oracle
In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi served as a revered sanctuary where people sought guidance and wisdom. However, the true nature of the Oracle remains somewhat enigmatic, as it could have been an intoxicated priestess inhaling toxic fumes or simply a source of inspiration akin to one’s conscience. Some translations of the Apology even refer to it as a “god.” Nonetheless, it was perceived as a moral guide, and following its counsel was deemed a virtuous course of action.
During Socrates’ trial, he recounted the story of his departed friend, Chaerephon, whose brother testified on Socrates’ behalf. Chaerephon had once visited the Oracle to inquire about the wisest person in Athens, and to everyone’s surprise, the Oracle proclaimed Socrates as the wisest and most knowledgeable of all. This revelation perplexed Socrates, as he had always considered himself entirely ignorant and lacking in wisdom. The question arose: What aspect of Socrates could the Oracle possibly deem wise? Unable to fathom the answer, Socrates decided to challenge this quasi-god, revered as an infallible source of divine wisdom in Athens.
To confront the Oracle’s proclamation, Socrates sought out individuals conventionally regarded as wise or knowledgeable and engaged them in dialogues using a method that would later be known as the Socratic method. Through a series of probing questions, Socrates discovered that poets, politicians, merchants, and artisans were highly proficient in their specific trades or crafts. However, they mistakenly assumed this expertise extended to all domains of knowledge, leading them to confidently express nonsensical beliefs when questioned outside their limited areas of understanding.
By exposing what wisdom did not entail, Socrates eventually resolved the apparent contradiction from the Oracle. He concluded that true wisdom lay in recognizing the extent of one’s ignorance. However, this relentless inquiry into the supposed experts led to charges of corrupting the Athenian youth and committing blasphemy.
Socrates the Instigator
Driven by his unwavering “religious duty to truth,” Socrates could not resist refuting the charges against him in court using the same method of questioning that had initially landed him in trouble—the Socratic method. He asserted that the Oracle had been guiding him all along, though it had only manifested as a “voice” until then:
“You have often heard me speak of an oracle or sign which comes to me… The sign is a voice that comes to me and always forbids me to do something which I am going to do but never commands me to do anything, and this is what stands in the way of my being a politician.”
In other words, Socrates could not hide his authentic self because of this inner guidance, which he associated with the divinity of the Delphic Oracle. His genuine nature—expressing his “religious duty to truth”—compelled him to inquire and question, even when it involved risks.
As Socrates debated with the prosecutors during the trial, their anger and frustration grew. Ironica…
