Socrates vs. People of Athens.
The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787)
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
Socrates: Petitioner: No. αα-ωωωω
v.:
Athenians: Respondents.:
AND
Athenians: Petitioners: No. ωω-αααα
v.:
Socrates: Respondent:
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
The above-entitled matter came on for oral argument before the Supreme Court of the United States at 11:11 a.m.
APPEARANCES:
Xenophon of Ancient Athens; on behalf of the Petitioner in No. αα-ωωωω.
Plato of Ancient Athens, supporting the Petitioner in No. αα-ωωωω.
Aristophanes of Ancient Athens; on behalf of the Petitioners in No. ωω-αααα.
Hermes, an emissary and messenger of the Olympian gods; supporting the Petitioner in No. αα-ωωωω.
QUESTION PRESENTED:
Weather accused Socrates justly found guilty and must take a deadly punishment,
or must be found innocent and stay in Athens as long as he willing to do so.
P R O C E E D I N G S (11:11 a.m.)
CHIEF JUSTICE: On a day in 399 BC the philosopher Socrates stood before a jury of 500 of his fellow Athenians accused of "refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state" and of "corrupting the youth." Three Socrates' accusers were allotted three hours to present their case, after which, the philosopher would have three hours to defend himself against old accusers and new accusers (Plato, Apology 18a). One of the numerous “first accusers” Socrates refers to at 18c-d is Aristophanes (he mentions him at 19c), a poet who wrote The Clouds. He has Socrates swinging from a basket, discussing silly things, and teaching his students to beat their parents (based on fallacious reasoning). This was probably most juror’s initial impression of Socrates. The "new accusers" of Socrates: Meletus (poet), Lycon (orator) and Anytus (craftsman, politician) (Plato, Apology 23e). These new accusers were the plaintiffs of the previous trial.
First, Miletus, a poet, made three related charges against Socrates: "refusing to acknowledge the gods recognized by the State and of introducing new and different gods", “make the worse argument the stronger” and "corrupting the youth" (Plato, Apology).
Second, Anytus, middle-class politician and militant, was interested in prosecuting Socrates is believed to have been based on his concern that Socrates's criticism of Athenian institutions endangered the democracy that Athens had so recently regained.
Third, Lycon, “the mouthpiece of the professional rhetoricians” as an interest group, who as well perceived Socrates as a threat to the Athenian democracy.
After hearing the arguments of both, Socrates and his accusers, the Athenian jury was asked to vote on his guilt. Under the Athenian law, the jurors did not deliberate the point. Found guilty by a vote of 280 to 220; Socrates was sentenced to a death by poison.
We are here today to proceed a case Socrates v. Men of Athens once again, to ensure Socrates’ guilt and condemn him to death or to establish his innocence. We'll hear argument first this morning in Case αα-ωωωω, Socrates v. Men of Athens introduced by Plato on behalf of Socrates.
PLATO: As I previously wrote, Socrates says that Meletus participates in the prosecution because he was "vexed on behalf of the poets" (Plato, Apology 23e); there Meletus agrees to be cross-examined by Socrates but fails to answer them and falls into fallacy. Inattentive to the logical implications of his accusations of corruption and impiety, Meletus contradicts himself in accusing Socrates of atheism and of believing in gods that are foreign to the city of Athens, your Honor.
Further, Socrates states that Anytus joined the prosecution because he was "vexed on behalf of the craftsmen and politicians" (Plato, Apology 23e–24a); also, there was evidence that dissension between Anytus and Socrates has a place to be. In the Meno, I wrote down Socrates's argument that statesmen of Athens have nothing to offer without an understanding of virtue, and thus, enraged Anytus. I’ve heard Anytus warning Socrates: "Socrates, I think that you are too ready to speak evil of men: and, if you will take my advice, I would recommend you to be careful" (Plato, Meno, 94e). The last and perhaps the most important reason that is Anytus’ son was in a close relationship with Socrates, which could implode father’s reputation in eyes of his son.
In response to the next accuser, Socrates says that Lycon joined the prosecution because he was “vexed on behalf of the rhetoricians” (Plato, Apology 24a), and I completely agree with his statement. Three accusers organized malicious action against Socrates, to eliminate him but not for the reasons they announced, but by default of other reasons that have not legal implication and reason to be appealed in the court. Vanity, your Honor, was leading them to the court of Athens. They knew that the court won’t protect their pinched pride, so they had to mask it behind “reasonable” accusations, which don’t correspond to reality.
Perhaps, there are a lot of overstatements in my dialogues and injections of my own philosophy, but I claim, that Socrates followed only one purpose: the pursuit of truth. His determination to call everything into question and his determination to accept nothing rather than an inadequate account of reality, nature and things overall; only this determination and only brought him to court in 399 BC. His willingness to death is an unwavering commitment to his divinely appointed mission to keep philosophizing at all costs. As his student, I know he would “follow the argument wherever, like a wind, it may lead us” (Plato, Republic 394D).
CHIEF JUSTICE: Thank you for clarification of your position, the court will recognize your arguments. Next appeal is on behalf of Socrates, Case αα-ωωωω, Socrates v. Men of Athens is by Xenophon, philosopher and another student of Socrates.
XENOPHON: Socrates enjoined piety and respect for divination, which should be consulted before every momentous life-choice. He avoided speculation about the nature of the cosmos; “…his own conversation was ever of human things. The problems he discussed were: what is godly? What is ungodly; what is just, what is unjust; what is prudence; what is madness; what is courage, what is cowardice; what is a state, what is a statesman; what is government, and what is a governor; - these, and others like them…” (Memorabilia I.1.16). His ‘argument from design’ to strengthen religious faith; the concept of God here manifested is strikingly monotheistic and is also woven throughout the natural world (Memorabilia I.iv.3-19). To the charge of corrupting the youth, I can only say that Socrates was “…in control of his own passions and appetites he was the strictest of men” and notes that through the oracle at Delphi, “…Apollo answered that no man was freer than I, or more just, or more prudent” (Apology 14). (Memorabilia II.ii.1). Socrates led men up to self-control, motivated by his love of humanity.
As Socrates explained to his friend Hermogenes why he has not been working on his defense speech: he has been hindered by his divine sign, and ready to die. He justified it saying that it is better for him to die now than to face the pains and limitations of an old age.
When at trial, he defends himself from the charge of impiety by noting his regular participation in all sacrifices and other public religious rituals. After his condemnation to death, Socrates comforted his friends: “Have you not known all along that from the moment of my birth nature had condemned me to death?” (Apology 27). I conclude:
“And so, in contemplating the man’s wisdom and nobility of character, I find it beyond my power to forget him or, in remembering him, to refrain from praising him. And if among those who make virtue their aim anyone has ever been brought into contact with a person more helpful than Socrates, I count that man worthy to be called most blessed (Apology 34).”
CHIEF JUDGE: Court will consider explicit contradictions with the previous speaker. Next argument in Case ωω-αααα, Men of Athens v. Socrates is introduced by Aristophanes on behalf of Men of Athens.
ARISTOPHANES: Socrates says that the accusations for which he is answering in court already had been spoken and published by me; therefore, are beyond the legal scope of a trial for corruption and impiety. Years earlier, in my play The Clouds I reflected real Socrates, a charlatan; a sophist himself, an atheist and natural scientist, who carefully arranged arguments constructed of ornate words and phrases misrepresented as wisdom by many!
Socrates builds a filthy school called the "Phrontisterion" (School for False Logic). He promised to teach students how to become so proficient in the art of arguing that they will be able to make any argument win; they will be able to argue for any position on any subject and make that position prevail. Thus, it isn’t merely my opinion: the majority of Athenians believed Socrates did rhetoric all the time!
Socrates often wandered around with his mind up in the clouds, looking up into the heavens and thinking about all sorts of philosophical things, but then accidentally stumbled and fell into a ditch. Have you seen this, you Honor? How can such a man be intelligent and just, as some try to describe him? Even lizards have no respect for that man.
With my play, I hope to contribute to the new Socrates' trial and execution.
CHIEF OF JUSTICE: Thanks to opposition, now we will listen to the last advocate, Hermes, an emissary and messenger of the Olympian gods; supporting the Petitioner in No. αα-ωωωω.
HERMES: I am, Hermes of Olympia, the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia, came to Court of Justice to impose the will of Olympic gods and throw a light on Socrates’ trial. Perhaps, Chief Jury might think that Plato and Xenophon had failed to recognize Socrates’ fault and downsides, but would you rather believe Olympic gods, who know and see everything and understand every human intention?
CHIEF JUSTICE: Due to your principal deity and omniscience proved earlier by our expertise, I ought to think your opinion is eligible and legitimately valid.
HERMES: Aristophanes persuaded many of the jurors and accused Socrates falsely, saying that “there is a man called Socrates, a wise man, a student of all things in the sky and below the earth, who makes the worse argument the stronger” (Plato, Apology 18 b-c), and who “teaches these same things to others (Plato, Apology 19b). We, twelve gods of Olympus, insist that this is all false – Socrates never studied these things, nor he have never taught anyone for a fee, like did Gorgias, Prodicus, and Hippias (Sophists – rhetoricians who got paid to make you look good in court or politics, not caring for the truth per se) (Plato, Apology 19d-e). Aristophanes did not appreciate the gift of poetics given him by us: all the words came through him without acknowledgment and were left like empty shells; neither people of Athens did appreciate the irony we implied in “The Clouds,” for which Athenians must be punished.
The Delphic Oracle, a priestess, who reveals what Apollo sees in the future, is a witness for why Socrates has the reputation of being a wise man and what the nature of his wisdom is if he has it. Socrates’ friend, Chaerephon asked the oracle if there was anyone wiser in Greece than Socrates, and the answer was returned, “No one is wiser than Socrates” (Plato, Apology 21a). Socrates initially assumed the Oracle was mistaken, this kind of distrust to Olympus god’s words was quite unpleasant at first, Athena even thought she gifted a wrong guy. But soon after he would “examine,” that is, ask questions of others who would say that they know something, they came to dislike Socrates and others did as well:
"Neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know, neither do I think I know. So I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think what I do not know" (Plato, Apology 21d).
Socrates realized that he was becoming unpopular and even hated by some, including three accusers from the previous trial, but he thought it was really important to disprove or prove the oracle’s claim. This, he considered it his duty to question supposed "wise" men and to expose their false wisdom as ignorance; he asked men of "high reputation": politicians, poets, and craftsmen. This is true, they all did not know many things they claimed to know, but also thought that because they call themselves a politician, a poet or a craftsman, that they were experts at everything else (Plato, Apology 22d). Disproved that, Socrates found that he was wiser and was happy to be as he is, and not fooling himself with pseudo-knowledge. For this very reason Socrates says, “I do not have the leisure to engage in public affairs to any extent, nor indeed to look after my own, but I live in great poverty because of my service to the God” (Plato, Apology 23b).
In light of that definition and clarity of his intention, we, Olympian gods, and two of his students, namely Plato and Xenophon, defensively arguing today that he cannot be mistaken for a Sophist and his teachings shouldn’t be mistaken as rhetoric; he is a philosopher who accused of false charges on the previous trial, because his activities earned him much admiration among the youth of Athens, but much hatred and anger from the people he embarrassed.
CHIEF JUSTICE: After hearing all arguments court to leaves to procedural room to make a conclusive decision on cases No. αα-ωωωω: Socrates v. Athenians and No. ωω-αααα: Athenians v. Socrates.
*FIVE HOURS LATER*
CHIEF JUSTICE: The Supreme Court of the United States found Socrates innocent and established that Oracle’s provision was a true statement, violated by people of Athens. To make up for centuries of unjust and untimely death we will bring Socrates back to life with Hermes’s help and oblige the city of Athens to provide daily meals to the philosopher for the rest of his life. As Kierkegaard argued many centuries later: Socrates is an ironist. People of Athens failed to recognize that.
