ipl-logo

How Does Socrates Corrupt Youth

1094 Words5 Pages

Socrates has been charged with two crimes being a heretic and or atheist as well as corrupting the youth. Socrates claims where more than enough to dismiss all charges brought against him. This crimes should be dismissed because the first one is illogical since they contradict itself. While the second crime of corrupting the youth is an exaggeration, both made by Meletus who has a personal grudge against Socrates. His first crime he was convicted of being an atheist and heretic. To be a heretic, one must one must believe in one or multiple gods, to be an atheist one does not believe in an god or gods. Meletus first charge is invalid and should be used against Socrates. Even though during that period being apathies which …show more content…

Socrates cannot corrupt the youth without damaging society; which is preposterous because society is already corrupt. Socrates question politicians about piety, virtue, knowledge and it turns out they knew the least out of poets and craftsmen. How sad is it being governed by those who do not know what justice is. This backs Socrates because he cannot corrupt that is already corrupt. If anything Socrates is educating the youth because he is making them think for themselves. Conformity in a society is corruption of the youth because it is indoctrinates them to think and act a certain way. If anything Socrates is liberating the youth. Which brings up a question is being smart a crime when it opposes societies values and our beliefs? Meltus even said he does not care about the youth, which is ironic because he prosecuted Socrates for corrupting them. “Furthermore, the young men who follow me around of their own free will, those have more leisure, the sons of the very rich, take pleasure in hearing people questioned; they themselves often imitate me and try to question others.” (page 28) Socrates disciples come to him on their own free will and are enlightened because Socrates admits he knows nothing so he questions everything. This is not a crime, but rather a gift. Socrates is not corrupting rather the corrupt the system is afraid to admit that Socrates is correct. There afraid to …show more content…

Even if Meletus could justify his accusations we should not vote to kill Socrates because it is unpious. This goes back to my argument that Meletus is prosecuting Socrates because of his hatred towards him. Socrates did not commit a murder, he is not an atheist or heretic, and it goes against the gods to kill another individual. If the murder angers the gods, why Athenians should be allowed to kill, especially if they themselves are not gods. In that sense what gives them to right to decide who lives and who dies? “Indeed men of Athens, am far from making a defense now on my own behalf, as might be thought, but on yours, to prevent you from own behalf, as might be thought, but on yours, to prevent you from wrongdoing by mistreating the god’s gift of condemning me; for if you kill me you will not easily find another like me. I was attached to this city by the god- though it seems a ridiculous thing to say-as upon a great and noble horse which was somewhat sluggish because of its size and needed to be stirred up by a kind of gadfly. It is to fulfill some such function that I believe the god has placed me in the city.” (page

Show More
Related
305 Words | 2 Pages

Socrates defended himself well during the trial. I do not think that Socrates was guilty for anything. He was accused by Meletus for "corrupting the young”. However, there was no evidence of this. Socrates mentioned that there was no youth to testify that they were corrupted by him.

Read More
390 Words | 2 Pages

Consequently, the citizens then looked towards the higher authority in Socrates’ persecution rather than Socrates’ himself due to the pure exaggeration of the case by Meletus. This exploitation leads to a corruption within the Athenian society that Socrates is trying to prevent. He believes that there is a misunderstanding in terms of languages, and a has a strong mistrust towards the government which ultimately allows him to advocate for sameness with the people. Plato’s approach to justifying Socrates’

Read More
554 Words | 3 Pages

Additionally, if he commits this wrongdoing, he is tainting his own soul and Socrates believes that it is better to die than to live with a tainted soul. For that reason, Socrates must stay in jail and accept his

Read More
1641 Words | 7 Pages

Since the day of the judgment between Athens and Socrates in 399 year B.C. many historians, philosophers, and students wonder to know whether Socrates was Guilty. Philosopher was accused in corrupting the youth, not believing in the recognized gods and introducing new divinities and in the rejection of civic life in democratic society. It is very difficult to answer on this question, may be even impossible. In my opinion, there are three types of people: 1.

Read More
595 Words | 3 Pages

I don’t believe it was corruption, but to the court it was. Still, if Socrates’ motives weren’t about trying to destroy the youth’s perception, is that necessarily bad? One person isn’t only a good or bad influence on an entire population. Every other person will have a different view on what is wrong and what is genuinely good.

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

Socrates defends himself by calling upon Meletus and interrogating him. He asks Meletus, “Do not the good do their neighbors good, and the bad do them evil?” (26). Meletus agrees, and is then asked, “Do you allege that I corrupt the youth intentionally?” (26).

Read More
589 Words | 3 Pages

Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens as many of the youths were breaking societal norms in Athens. In 414 BC, a comedian

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

However, it is not in a way that successfully brings the jury to believe in his innocence. Socrates is a clever speaker, even getting Meletus to agree to his logic. He says in the beginning of his apology speech that he is not a clever speaker, however that is disproven with the logic he uses to argue his case. Although, even as a clever speaker, Socrates does not truly attempt to prove his innocence. He understands that he is being charged in a depth deeper than just Meletus charging him, he is against the entire towns values.

Read More
961 Words | 4 Pages

New accusers say that Socrates corrupts the youth and does not believe in the gods of the State, and has new divinities of his own. To defend himself against these charges, Socrates asks Meletus some questions. As a result, Meletus is shown to be contradicting himself and making accusations that are absolutely absurd. To the question “Who are the improvers of the youth?” Meletus replies that they are all citizens, but not Socrates, arguing that he is only one who is corrupting them.

Read More
560 Words | 3 Pages

“ Either I do not corrupt the young or, if I do, it is unwillingly, and you are lying in either case” (Apology 31) Socrates believes that if he presents a point to the

Read More
606 Words | 3 Pages

Assuming that nobody wants to become corrupted, it follows that no one would knowingly corrupt those who they associate with. And because Socrates associates primarily with the youth of Athens, he would never knowingly corrupt them. Socrates was an outstanding of the Greek civilization. He defended himself against allegations of impiety and corruption of Athens youth. On the contrary, he provided strong arguments for his own defense

Read More
908 Words | 4 Pages

“Such, then, is the charge. Let us e amine each point in this charge. Meletus says, then, that I commit injustice by corrupting the young. But I, men of Athens, reply that ids Meletus who is guilty of playing around with serious matters, of lightly bringing people to trial, and of professing to be seriously concerned about things he has never cared about at all-and I’ll try to prove this” (Page 654). Socrates question Meletus personal thoughts of him; by bringing evidence of the memories the two men shared with each other.

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

Alan Moore’s “V for Vendetta” represents a dystopian future where most of the world has been destroyed by nuclear war. Moore’s view of the world is black and white and he argues that anarchy is the only way everyone can be truly free. In the novel, the Norsefire fascist government lead by Adam Susan, keeps Britain safe by censoring and heavily surveilling its citizens. The message of the novel is that we must always strive for freedom even if said freedom is dangerous.

Read More
1270 Words | 6 Pages

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen is one of the greatest novelists of English Literature. She was born in 1775 at Steventon in Hampshire, in the south of England. Her father was Reverend George Austen, who was a well-educated clergyman and who encouraged Austen both in her reading and her writing. She started writing when she was fourteen, and by her early twenties she was already working on the first versions of some of her novels. She did not write about great events, like the French Revolution or the Napoleonic Wars, both of which happened during her lifetime.

Read More
1535 Words | 7 Pages

In his innocent eyes, all he did was go out to talk and question the Athenian people. Although at times there may have been youth following him as he went out to question others, they simply were just there to listen. In the event that the youth may have come up with ideas of their own based off of Socrates’s conversations they heard, that is not direct teaching from Socrates. This is like when a parent tells their child not to touch a hot stove, yet the kid goes and touches it anyway. Children have a mind of their own regardless of what they have been told is right or wrong.

Read More

More about How Does Socrates Corrupt Youth

Related Topics

Open Document