Socrates was a greek philosopher and the revered founder of the western philosopher tradition.
Even though living in a liberal and democratic society Socrates had a set of values that most of the other athenians would not like. He believed that the citizens didn’t have the basic knowledge to nature a society and question the right of every citizen to speak in the athenian assembly. Socrates encouraged the youth towards critique thinking and reasoning, which eventually led to exposing of skills of craftsmen, poets and politicians. In 399 B.C. Socrates was accused of many different things such as “impiety” and of “not believing in the gods accepted by the city” and of the “corruption of the young”. These charges against Socrates were put by a man named Meletus.
Meletus accused Socrates of corrupting the youth as according to Aristophanes, Clouds 423 it can be seen that Socrates agrees to teach Pheidippides the craft of infallible arguments for some profit. His teachings eventually led to Pheidippides Disrespecting other people. Some other people accusing Socrates were politicians, such as Lykon, and craftsmen, such as Anytos. Socrates began with saying that all his accusers had a prepared speech while his speech will be completely improvised. He begins with addressing charge against him saying that he teaches things and make profit.
Socrates mentions to jury that he is not a sophist. Sophists are the people who charge fees for their work, and he mentions that he doesn’t charge anything in exchange of knowledge. He states that his poverty is itself a evidence that he does not make profit teaching things. he also mentions that he doesn’t charge anything in exchange of knowledge. Socrates then moves onto Meletus and his accusation of him corrupting the youth. Socrates firstly accuses Meletus of dealing with serious matters in a very careless manner. He mentions that the youth which follows his foot steps do it on their own will as they already have questions arising within them which socrates brings up hence saying that he is just being true to the youth and does not corrupt them.
He then moves onto the next accusation of him not believing in the gods accepted by the state. Socrates as accused by Meletus that he teaches people to believe in supernatural beings defends himself saying that he believes that gods are supernatural beings so he must have a believe in them. Socrates answered all the charges placed on him very clearly however unlike Meletus, who when accused by Socrates wasn’t able to come up with answers.
Socrates gave Precise arguments as to why he is not guilty. He provided very valid reasoning to why everyone prospective against him is wrong. He cleared himself that it is not his fault if people follow him on their own free will
