Socrates’ Motivation

By: Sydney, Matie, Rohan and Chandler

Thesis

Socrates’ motivations for his execution, and what led up to it, were significantly influenced by Plato’s idealizations and the recent political unrest of Athens.

History of Athens

● 7000 BCE ● Small, Mycenaean community● Transition from Hegemony● Acropolis● Defeat by Sparta

Democracy in Athens

● Athenian leader Cleisthenes(507 B.C.) introduced a system of political reform called demokratia, literally “rule by the people”

● The system had three institutions -○ The Ekklesia ○ The Boule○ The Dikasteria

The processes of a Trial

● Jury Selection

o 200-6000 Jurors, 600 lots from 10 Tribes

o Citizen Males over 30

● The prosecution presents its case first.

● The accused then defends it.

● Jurors were rowdy

Plato and Socrates

● Plato was considered among the youths corrupted by his teachings.

● As a devoted student, Plato revered Socrates

● Few other historical accounts of Socrates

● Inconsistencies are apparent between

Plato’s and Xenophon’s writings

Appologies of Socrates● Plato and Xenophon wrote Apologies of

Socrates documenting his final testimony ● The apologies serve different functions with

conflicting portrayals of Socrates.● Plato’s Apology was written with greater

prose than his normal work, but was not necessarily Socrates’ word

Socrates, “Gadfly” of the state

● Justice○ “Might makes right”○ Stubbornness

● Criticisms of Democracy○ Preservation of Status Quo○ Avoidance of Discomfort○ Emotional Reasoning

Trial and Execution

● Mounting Accusations○ Impiety○ Corruption of Youth

● Delaying a Similar Fate● Choosing Death

○ Defiance● Scapegoat

○ Friends○ Athens

Argument with Crito

● Never an Injustice● Tacit Agreement

o Law is Always Just, Citizens are Fallible● Correct Opinion

o Blame to Friends’ Charactero Blame to Socrates’ Character

Conclusion

Socrates’ execution was more the result of the political unrest of his era, rather than his specific actions. Arguments for his own execution were biased by both Socrates’ preference for the timeliness of such a death, as well as Plato’s idealizations of his teacher.

Works Cited:● Sellars, John. "Plato's Apology of Socrates: Metaphilosophical Text.” Academic Search Premier [EBSCO].

N.p., Oct. 2014. Web.

● Danzig, Gabriel. “Apologizing For Socrates: Plato and Xenophon On Socrates’ Behavior in Court.” Google

Scholar. John Hopkins University Press, Sept. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.

● Ehrenberg, Victor. From Solon to Socrates; Greek History and Civilization during the Sixth and Fifth Centuries

B.C. London: Methuen, 1973. Print.

● "Ancient Greek Democracy." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 01 June 2015.

● The Origins of Democracy: A Model with Application to Ancient Greece

● Robert K. Fleck and F. Andrew Hanssen Journal of Law and Economics Vol. 49, No. 1 (April 2006) , pp. 115-

146 Published by: The University of Chicago Press for The Booth School of Business of the University of

Chicago and The University of Chicago Law School

● Linder, 2002, p. 213