Plato’s ‘Apology of Socrates’

Apology of Socrates is a defense against the charges of “corrupting the youth” and “not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other eudaimonia that are novel” to Athens which were leveled against the philosopher Socrates who went against the political and social construct of 5th-century BC Athens.

The three men who formally accused Socrates of impiety and corruption against the people and the city officially represented the interests of the establishment politicians artisans, scholars, poets, and especially the rhetoricians. These accusers were Anytus, a rich and socially prominent Athenian. Meletus, who was the tool of Anytus, the primary enemy of Socrates upon which the entire trial hung, and Lycon, who accused Socrates of being a Spartan spy and agent.

Socrates claimed that the accusations for which he was answering in court already had been spoken and published by the comic poet Aristophanes, and are therefore beyond the legal scope of a trial for corruption and impiety. Ostensibly this was a kangaroo court by the establishment attempting to shut down anyone who did not play their game.

The scandal arose when Chaerephon—a friend of Socrates—innocently consulted the Oracle of Delphi and asked her, (the prophetess Pythia) to tell him of anyone wiser than Socrates. Pythia answered that there was no man wiser. Socrates—upon hearing this—was astounded as the Oracle of Delphi can never lie, but at the same time, he also knew he was not wisest.

Therefore, Socrates questioned the opinion of politicians, poets, and scholars, whom he considered learned and wide. Socrates claimed that he found no one who possessed wisdom; yet, each man was thought to be wise by the people, and each man thought himself wise; therefore, he thought he was the better man because he was aware that he was not wise.

In other words, Socretes exposed—as is the case today—that the leaders of society were neither wise nor great. But in fact, mediocre and held their positions via neoptism or cronyism, and only remained in power by playing the consensus games and naratives as they arose and shifted. Not surprisingly, this enraged them against Socretes for exposing them for what they were.

In Plato’s version of the trial, Socrates mocks oratory as a deceitful rhetorical practice designed to lead jurors away from the truth. Today this would be the use of overtly shallow emotional appeals, defacto guilt for ancestor’s crimes and being in violation of Woke madates.

The jurors of the trial voted upon the guilt of Socrates by a relatively narrow margin and the court’s judgment was a death sentence for Socrates. Socrates responded to the death penalty verdict by first addressing the jurors who had voted for his death. He stated that instead of waiting a short time for him to die from old age, they will now have to accept the harsh criticisms from his supporters. Which they have been burdered with to this day.

Individuals who have had their lives ruined and their reputations shredded by Cancel Culture will enjoy the same fate—in time—as Socretes placed upon his own mediocre accusers in power back in the 5th Century BC. They will be the ones found ethically guilty within the courts of eternal justice. They only buy time, rather than attaining honour.

One more element within Plato’s Apology to Socrates, is that Socrates (being a good Pagan) consulted his daimon or higher self, who assured him that not only would the aging philosopher escape death by old age and also have a painless journey towards his spiritual destiny, but that he also would be honoured well by history. While his accusers would be shamed as long as human history is recalled.

Just wait…