Socrates
Socrates
“Socrates,” presents the famous philosopher who challenged the young men of Athens to question their assumptions and consider how they should live their lives.Conservative politicians capitalized on Socrates’ unpopular views and pegged him as an antiestablishment target. In 399 BC, Socrates was brought to trial, convicted, and given the death sentence for corrupting the youth of Athens and for his religious views, which differed from those of the state.
Dramatis Personae
Narrator
Sophist
Student
Socrates
Antyus
Meletus
Plato
Scene 1: Athens street corner, 432 BC
NARRATOR: With the end of the Peloponnesian War, Athens became quite turbulent. Democracy no longer united the city. In fact, many younger citizens refused to take part in public affairs. Sophists (SAHF-ists) tried to change this by teaching young people debating and other political skills—for a fee. The philosopher Socrates, however, shared his wisdom for free.
SOPHIST: Uh-oh, here comes Socrates. Don’t turn around! Maybe he won’t see us.
STUDENT: Him? That barefoot man wearing rags? He’s the wisest man in Athens?
SOPHIST: That’s Socrates, all right, but he’s not the wisest man in Athens—he only thinks he is.
SOCRATES: You! Sophist! Still taking money from people hoping you’ll make them wise? You Sophists are nothing but crooks.
STUDENT: I don’t mind paying to learn. Why, I can make an argument for or against almost anything now. I’ll be able to really take part in governing Athens—
SOCRATES: But what do you believe in? Know thyself. How can you make an argument for something you don’t believe in?
STUDENT: Well, sometimes there’s more than one way to look at an argument.
SOPHIST: Don’t waste your breath. Socrates doesn’t believe that ordinary citizens should take part in ruling themselves. He thinks that only one ruler should tell everybody else what to do, and citizens should do it.
SOCRATES: A wise ruler. (Turning to student) Tell me, why do you think you should participate in government?
SOPHIST: We’d love to talk, Socrates, but we’ve got a really important appointment. Later.
Scene 2: House in Athens, 400 BC
NARRATOR: Many pupils gathered around Socrates. Some Athenian leaders feared he was teaching young people to challenge the authority of the government.
ANTYUS: Athens is still in danger. We’ve survived Alcibiades’ (al-suh-BY-uh-deez) betrayal of us to the Spartans. (And who was his teacher? Socrates.) We’ve survived the takeover by the Thirty Tyrants. (Did Socrates speak out against their tyranny? No.) We have democracy again, but we must protect it. We can’t have Socrates running around saying that we citizens cannot rule ourselves.
MELETUS: But how can we stop him?
ANTYUS: By bringing charges against him. How about this: He doesn’t worship the same gods that the state does. Second, he’s a bad influence on the youth of Athens. He teaches them to disrespect their parents and the government. Yes, I like the sound of that. You’ll bring those two charges against our “wise” philosopher.
MELETUS: Me? Why me? I’m just a poet. Who’ll listen to me?
ANTYUS: I’m a politician, and a well-liked one, too. I don’t want to give that up if Socrates is found innocent.
Scene 3: Athens courtroom, 399 BC
NARRATOR: Socrates was arrested and tried before a jury of Athenian citizens.
PLATO: I wish you’d left Athens when you had the chance, Socrates. That’s what they wanted you to do. They don’t really want you to stand trial and be convicted.
SOCRATES: I’ve been accused. I must stand trial and defend myself. Haven’t I always spoken for upholding the rules of government?
PLATO: You have, but you’ve made a lot of people mad by proving that they’re not as smart as they think they are. I see some of those people on the jury, too.
SOCRATES: There are 500 people on the jury. I only need to convince 250 of them of my innocence.
(A few days later.)
PLATO: They’ve sentenced you to death! How could they?
SOCRATES: Now we go our separate ways—I to die, and you to live . . . and teach. Good-bye, Plato. Good-bye, friends.
PLATO: I weep now, not for Socrates, but for myself and all of Athens, that we have lost such a good friend and teacher.
Questions for Discussion
1) What do you think Socrates meant when he said “Know thyself”? What did he want the student to think about?
2) Do you think the method of questioning Socrates used was effective? Have you ever used a similar strategy to get someone to think about he or she was saying?