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Summary
Socrates now turns from his old accusers to his new ones, those who have brought him to trial. Socrates reminds the court that they accuse him of corrupting the minds of the young and of believing in supernatural phenomena of his own invention rather than in the gods of the state. In order to defend himself against these charges, Socrates calls on Meletus, his principal accuser, and interrogates him in the familiar form of the elenchus, or cross-examination.
If he has such a bad influence on the youth of Athens, Socrates asks, what is it that has a good influence? Meletus responds that the laws make people good. Socrates then urges Meletus to clarify which people might have this good influence, whose business it is to know the laws. In response to Socrates' persistent questioning, Meletus first asserts that the jurymen are responsible for knowing the laws, and then accepts both Councilors and members of the Assembly as equally good influences. Because the Assembly is open to all adult males, Meletus finds himself claiming that the entire population of Athens has a positive influence on the youth, with the sole exception of Socrates. Socrates then draws an analogy with horses, saying that only horse- trainers, very specialized people, have a positive influence on horses, whereas most people would have a negative influence. Surely, Socrates suggests, if it takes such expertise to improve a horse, it would be odd to think that pretty much anyone can improve a person.
Next, Socrates' questioning leads Meletus to claim that wicked people like Socrates intentionally do harm to those with which they live in contact, and that this acts to the detriment of all in that society. Socrates replies to Meletus that, in doing harm to others and hurting all of society, Socrates would thus also be hurting himself, as a member of society. Socrates claims that he cannot possibly be so foolish as to want to hurt himself, and so if he does cause harm, it must be unintentional. And, he concludes, one who unintentionally does harm should be instructed and reproved, not tried and punished.
Socrates then addresses the accusation that he does not believe in the gods sanctioned by the state, assuming that this is the negative influence Meletus refers to. Under Socrates' questioning, Meletus asserts that Socrates believes in no gods whatsoever. Socrates replies that Meletus is confusing him with Anaxagoras, a well-known Presocratic, whose theories Meletus is ascribing to Socrates. To prove Meletus wrong, Socrates undertakes to show that he must believe in gods of some sort. He suggests that it would be impossible to believe in human matters without believing in human beings, or in equine matters without believing in horses, or in musical matters without believing in musicians, and so it must analogously be impossible to believe in supernatural matters without believing in supernatural beings. But the affidavit Meletus himself drew up against Socrates claims that Socrates believes--and teaches others to believe--in supernatural matters. That must imply, then, that Socrates believes in supernatural beings. Since the only kinds of supernatural beings, according to Socrates, are gods and children of the gods, it must follow that Socrates believes in gods, contrary to Meletus' initial assertion.
Socrates was accused of impiety against the god while the countrymen believes in and corrupting the mind of the youth.
Who was Socrates?
Socrates, was born on c. 470 BCE, Athens (Greece)—died 399 BCE, Athens because of execution by poisoning was an ancient Greek philosopher whose thoughts served great influence on Western philosophy, was regarded as"Father of Western Philosophy".
The Apology of Socrates, written by Plato, is a legal speech of self-defense given by Socrates in trial against allegation of impiety against the god while the countrymen believes in and corrupting the mind of the youth. His main accuser were Lycon, Anytus, and Meletus.
Meletus, the only accuser who spoke during Socrates's speech, he was to there on behalf of the poets. At trial, Socrates said meletus is unknown to him. Meletus agrees to the cross-examination, and Socartes question lead meletrus into a semantic trap and led to his contradiction from accusing socrates of atheism.
In his defense, Socrates said he is a philosopher and philosophy began with ignoring the fact. He said he gets his wisdom from the fact he knows nothing also that all his accusations are old and results of years of gossips.
Therefore, Socrates was accused of impiety and corrupting youth minds.
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