The Apology of Socrates

Socrates is considered the father of moral philosophy. In his quest for truth, he sacrificed his life when he rejected charges of blasphemy and the corruption of the minds of the youth of Athens. Socrates denied these charges, and as a result, the jury of the democratic state of Athens sentenced him to death. It is debatable whether Socrates was right or wrong in not adhering to the laws of the state. He also has been accused of arrogance, but his death has had a deep and long lasting impact on philosophy. In the Apology of Socrates, Plato gives an account of Socrates’ own defense. This paper examines one of the passages from this work.

After being accused of using his popularity and his ability for independent investigation to reject the gods of the city, Socrates developed a bad reputation. Even so, he tried to see himself through other people’s eyes and made an effort to understand their point of view and fairly address it. It is important to remember that even though Socrates had become famous in Athens because of his philosophical ideas, he inspired mostly young people. Generally, he was considered an old, ugly, fat person who had nothing to do in life. Aristophanes’ comedy The Clouds confirms this description of Socrates. Being familiar with this general opinion about him, Socrates assumed that people must be asking: why is Socrates significant? What is his occupation? After all, Socrates was just an old, ugly, fat man who had nothing to do except to “corrupt” the minds of young people. Socrates speculates on why people believe the rumors about him. He makes it clear that most people follow what other people do or what is more commonly done, and therefore, believe rumors without addressing them with any of their own insights. On the other hand, people who tend to think outside the paradigm of what is common would not believe such rumors. Socrates assumes that people who follow the common opinion would like to know why they hold bad opinions about him.

In the second part of the passage, Socrates affirms that people who think ill of him are right and just in thinking that way. He agrees that rumors and slanders exist about him. However, he asserts that he will try to explain the reasons for his bad reputation and defamation. Before defending himself from the alleged accusations, he proclaims to the people that he will not lie to them. He knows that some people will probably think that he is playing the fool and not telling the truth.
After understanding the possible concerns that people have towards him, Socrates addresses the most important point of his argument to justify his actions. He tells the people that his bad reputation is a certain kind of wisdom (Sophia). Socrates is actually referring to Philosophy when he talks about that certain kind of knowledge. According to him, Philosophy (the love of wisdom) made him act and think in a particular way (a response which seemed blasphemous to the Athenians). Socrates perceives Philosophy as a way of life, and being a philosopher means adopting a way of life that revolves around pursuing the truth, regardless of its consequences. Socrates specifies that the wisdom he is talking about is “human wisdom” and not some kind of divine revelation.

Socrates makes a case for himself by saying that it is possible that he possess that human wisdom, although he cannot be sure. It is important to mention that Socrates famously believed: “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.” So clearly, Socrates is not establishing himself as an all-knowing person. He thinks that if he is wise it is because he possess human wisdom. He then sarcastically mentions the sophists of Greece, who are considered the wisest of all. Socrates refers to Gorgias of Leontini, Prodicus of Ceos, and Hippias of Elis as those who possess a kind of divine wisdom, which is not human. He lucidly states that he cannot explain this kind of wisdom because he certainly does not possess it. He further argues that if he does not possess this kind of wisdom then it is ridiculous for people to accuse him of possessing divine knowledge. People who think that Socrates possesses this kind of wisdom, which is more than human, are lying or misguided because certainly this is not the case at all.

Therefore, basically, Socrates blamed philosophy for his “blasphemous” ideas. The passage reflects that Socrates understood what people thought about him. He addresses their concerns and questions in a rational way. It is also clear from the passage that while addressing these issues, he also defines one of the characteristics of philosophy—to speak the truth. Socrates gave his word to the jurors and the people of Athens that he would not lie, and he would tell the truth. The wisdom that transformed Socrates is Philosophy, and a true philosopher must not lie.

Socrates examined the wisdom of the best politicians, sophists, poets, and intellectuals of Greece and discovered that he was wiser than all of them, because unlike them, he admitted that he knew nothing. Socrates clearly denied possessing any kind of divine wisdom, which many others had claimed.