Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Probably the most influential thinker at the time, Socrates in the fifth century turned things upside down in Greece. He was the “Big Daddy” of philosophy, with his radical teachings and refusal to take anything at face value. Accepting nothing less than the truth, seeking general knowledge of life, Socrates questioned everyone and everything. His work and teachings burst the political bubble of Athens in the fifth century and it ultimately cost him his life. Because Freethinking individuals pose a threat to certain political regimes. His teachings, and the work of his students spawned a new objective way of thinking that opened the door to philosophy, and political institutions, to coexist together in the future. Through examples in Plato’s Apology of Socrates and The Crito, I will show you how philosophy did not mix within the walls of Athens.

Socrates was a great thinker and debater focused on the truth. He spent his life walking the streets of Athens in pursuit of knowledge. His subjects were often humiliated by his questioning. It did not matter if the person was prominent or influential or if they were young or old. Socrates could question anyone and expose his or her falsities. Unfortunately, he did so at the expense of the individual’s feelings and reputation.

Eventually Socrates humiliated the wrong people, and ended up being brought to trial. He could not be prosecuted solely because he humiliated someone, so charges of corrupting the youth and Teaching against the things the city believe in were brought up against him. Plato witnessed the trial and the following events and recorded what he saw in The Apology and The Crito

Some of Socrates followers couldn’t believe that his arguments contradicted themselves; the Apology and the Crito seem to present evidence otherwise. More specifically, in the Apology Socrates tells us how important it is to listen to the gods before the state, and in the Crito he argues that one should follow the laws of the state above anything. These two statements clearly show that he is using different arguments in front of different audiences, siding with whichever suits his goals at the time. During his trial Socrates states;

"If you said to me in this regard: 'Socrates, we do not believe Anytus now; we acquit you, but only on the condition that you spend no more time on this investigation and do not practice philosophy, and if you are caught doing so you will die,' if, as I say, you were to acquit me on those terms, I would say to you: "Gentlemen of the jury, I am grateful and I am your friend, but I will obey the god rather than you, and as long as I draw breath and am able, I shall not cease to practice philosophy" (29c-d)

Here Socrates clearly states, that if the only punishment he would receive was being banned from practicing philosophy, he would not follow this mandate, and would choose to follow the gods instead and continue to practice philosophy. But then when he is awaiting his execution after the trial, he is quoted as saying;

"To do so is right, and one must not give way or retreat or leaves one's post, but both in war and in courts and everywhere else, one must obey the commands of one's city and country, or persuade it as to the nature of justice." (51b-c)

Here Socrates is saying that a man must always follow the laws of his city and country, and obey those laws. This is clearly in contradiction with his earlier statements at his own trial. This in my eyes, and I’m sure it was in the eyes of the people of Athens, showed that Socrates was a Hypocrite. And Socrates being in the position he was with students and admirers, the leaders of the city obviously saw him and his practices as a danger to their way of life.

When Socrates is spending the night in jail before his execution, Crito tells Socrates that an escape has been arranged for him. But Socrates refuses because he doesn’t think this escape is the right thing to do. "If I am clearly right in escaping, then I will make the attempt; but if not, I will abstain." (Socrates, page 51, paragraph 15) Socrates uses several reasons for not escaping, mainly his ideas about good versus bad opinions, and his idea about the citizen being a slave to the State.

Crito's first major argument is that after Socrates is executed, the majority of the people will think that Crito could have saved Socrates, but didn’t.

"-Can there be a worse disgrace than this-that I should be thought to value money more than the life of a friend?" (Crito, page 47, paragraph 11)

Socrates disagrees, saying that we should not care about the opinion of the many.

"Good men, and they are the only persons worth considering, will think of these things truly as they happened." (Socrates, page 47, paragraph 12)

Crito then explains the simple fact that the opinion of the many is more important because the many are the ones who can do harm to those who lose their favor; Socrates himself will lose his life because of the opinion of the many. But he does not listen. He doesn’t listen because Socrates has accepted the fact that he does not belong anymore. I think he realizes in his old age and current situation, that the state has no room for philosophers or people who question the laws of the city. And it is this realization of his that compels him to remain in the jail cell and face his doom.

Socrates continues to insist that he is against all forms of retaliation against the state, unlike his attitude during the trial where he tries to get the state to change its laws and let him continue