Socrates Case

Socrates was the son of a stonecutter and midwife, and he lived from 469-399 B.C. ("University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law" 1). Socrates was considered a classical philosopher. He was a sophist, which was another name for a "teacher of rhetoric, the art of speaking" (Noble 75). Socrates was different from other sophists because his teaching was free of cost and also because he didn't actually believe that he was teaching any "positive body of knowledge". Socrates lived in Athens (Noble 75). In addition to being a philosopher, Socrates served in the military and fought in the Peloponnesian War (Noble 75). Socrates had a main virtue, which entailed his belief in his awareness of ignorance (Noble 76).

Socrates was the first major philosopher of the Western culture ("Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" 1). He was famous for his questioning teaching method and intense search for the truth ("Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" 1). He revolutionized the way people thought about themselves and the world ("Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" 1). He believed that a person could become good by studying the truth and that if a person had good morals, they could escape evil. He thought that truth needed to be found inside of a person, in their soul, instead of in books (Noble 77). Socrates was found guilty of impiety and corrupting the city's youth ("Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" 1).

When Socrates was accused of corrupting the city's youth, he was put on trial for standing up for what he thought was right, which lead to his "political suicide." One incident involving Socrates which later became an issue in his trial was that Socrates refused to follow an order and arrest someone. Socrates claimed that his refusal to follow the order of the state was proof of his "good conduct" ("University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law" 2). During the trial, it was said that he could only be charged for his actions in the four years prior to his trial ("University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law"3). Socrates had been continuing his teachings which caused the attraction of another group of youth followers ("University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law" 3).

In the end, Socrates was found guilty and executed, which was looked at as a form of political suicide. It is said that, "he was found guilty of refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state, and of introducing new divinities" ("University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law"3). Socrates was a profound philosopher in history, which is why teaching which deals with inquiry is still referred to as the "Socratic Method" (Noble 77). "Rather than honor, he believed in principle, and through his sacrifice he helped create a new sense of what it meant to be human being, leaving a deep impression not