Athens Vs Socrates

Athenian democracy ensures that a citizen in a society acts according to what society deems appropriate rather than by an individual's assumptions of what is acceptable. Athens as a whole stresses the importance of an active citizen whose life is intertwined with the government. In essence, an Athenian citizen can participate in the decision making of the state and will be enthusiastic in carrying out policies that pass in the assembly. Pericles, an Athenian statesman, makes it clear when he says that "each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the state as well" (p.147 Thucydides). Socrates, a Greek philosopher, is a firm believer in examining one's actions in life and ensuring that a morally righteous life is being led. He argues that the ordinary Athenian citizen is not concerned with being a righteous person, but rather with maintaining society in order. This does not leave room for an individual to behave according to his own conscience in order to promote a feeling of moral well- being.

The Athenians designed a new system of government called democracy. Every Athenian citizen can speak and vote in assemblies in order to determine how the state will be ran. In this manner, an Athenian can voice his opinion on forming and modifying the policies that will affect him at home. The right to make a public speech at assemblies is given to every citizen in an attempt to encourage debate among the issues. This debate ensures that the citizens are well informed and have given careful thought to the consequences of their vote, since the majority of the group gets to have its way on the outcome of a specific policy. Thus, Athens has developed a system which allows its citizens to determine how life should be led.

Athenians, as a whole, are very proud of their accomplishments and place a great deal of importance in being a good citizen. Citizens are expected to be engaged at some level in public affairs, be it as a member of a jury or an assembly. Once it has been debated and voted on, citizens are expected to accept and follow a policy. They view their democratic system as a means of establishing what society deems acceptable, and, as an Athenian citizen, one is honored to obey the law. Once a law is passed, an Athenian is expected to comply. For instance, during the Peloponnesian war, the Athenians wanted to retreat on a course of action that they had chosen through assembly. Pericles realizes this and comes forward "to remind [Athenians] of [their] previous resolutions" (p.158. Thucydides) and ensure that they follow through with what they have voted on.

Socrates believes that Athenians pass laws that ensure the efficiency of the state but do not take the moral implications of their actions into account. He believes that the ordinary citizen cares only about the wealth and maintenance of Athens, but not of his individual moral and mental well- being. For example, if a law is taken into the deliberation and debate stage of policy- making, a citizen can voice his opinion and make an effort to persuade his brothers to not pass a law. But, if the majority of the population votes in favor of a law, those who are against it from the beginning are expected to follow the law. Socrates states that this decision to obey any wish that Athens may command leads to blindly living one's life as a follower. An individual should actively question whether any action that one may commit is morally righteous. In other words, one should perform a deed with roots that stem from one's own moral conscience and personal reasoning, rather than by what Mother Athens commands.

Even though Athenians are obviously infatuated with their democratic government, the Socratic and democratic method of arriving at a conclusion could harmoniously co-exist. Morally righteous citizens will in fact be a blessing to a democracy, or any form of government for that matter. Socrates states that "excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively" (30b. Plato) Suppose Nehay Nehoma, an Athenian citizen, is scheduled to appear in an assembly to vote on whether citizens should be killed at the ripe age of 65. Using the Socratic method of thinking, Mr.

Nehoma will delve deep into his moral conscience and realize that he himself would not like to be killed at the age of 65, and that in fact it is not a morally correct decision to do so. If his brothers, the Athenians, would also partake in the use of the Socratic method of thinking as he did, then they will all arrive at the "morally correct" decision: to strike down the law with intense fury. Additionally, an Athenian democracy will best suit the Socratic method of questioning the morality of one's actions, as citizens will question each other's "moral righteousness" during the public debate. Therefore, the citizen's will place morality, rather than efficiency and wealth accumulation, at the forefront of Athenian democracy..

Athenian democracy and the Socratic method of thinking may be able to co-exist under favorable conditions, but that is under the assumption that there is a universal standard of morals under which a person should live. Socrates claims that there is a moral standard by which everyone can live by and that reasoning and thoughtfulness will help mankind attain true wisdom. He believes that Athenians should be "ashamed