How Is Socrates Wiser

In the story “Apology”, “Socrates is standing in front of a Jury defending himself for converting the youth to believe in a God that the Athenians do not believe in.” (121) Chaerephon, a friend of Socrates, went to Delphi and asked if there was anyone wiser than Socrates. Delphi had said that Socrates was the wisest man, this had given the reputation to Socrates which had lead the youth looking up to Socrates as a god. Socrates did not understand how. Socrates wanted to find out himself if he was the wisest man in the world, so he gave an examination to an unnamed politician. Throughout the interview Socrates came to realize that this person was not wise, he only thought he was and appeared wise so people would think highly of him. Socrates tried to show the politician that he was not as what he appeared to be and while doing this the man and many others present were offended by what Socrates was trying to prove. Socrates reflected “ Well, I am certainly wiser than this man. It is only too likely that neither of us has any knowledge to boast of; but he thinks that he knows something which he does not know, whereas I am quite conscious of my ignorance. At any rate, it seems that I am wiser than he is to this small extent, that I do not think that I know what I do not.” (pg. 122)

He found that this was the only person who was able to do tasks that he was unable to do. Socrates went on this mission to prove to everyone that they were not as wise as they had thought, he claimed that God wanted him to do this to prove that he, Socrates, was the wisest man. As Socrates went on his mission he saw a change in the way people acted around him. They acted as if they were offended by what he was