Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Probably the most influential thinker at the time, Socrates in the fifth century turned things upside down in Greece. He was the “Big Daddy” of philosophy, with his radical teachings and refusal to take anything at face value. Accepting nothing less than the truth, seeking general knowledge of life, Socrates questioned everyone and everything. His work and teachings burst the political bubble of Athens in the fifth century and it ultimately cost him his life. Because Freethinking individuals pose a threat to certain political regimes. His teachings, and the work of his students spawned a new objective way of thinking that opened the door to philosophy, and political institutions, to coexist together in the future. Through examples in Plato’s Apology of Socrates and The Crito, I will show you how philosophy did not mix within the walls of Athens.
Socrates was a great thinker and debater focused on the truth. He spent his life walking the streets of Athens in pursuit of knowledge. His subjects were often humiliated by his questioning. It did not matter if the person was prominent or influential or if they were young or old. Socrates could question anyone and expose his or her falsities. Unfortunately, he did so at the expense of the individual’s feelings and reputation.
Eventually Socrates humiliated the wrong people, and ended up being brought to trial. He could not be prosecuted solely because he humiliated someone, so charges of corrupting the youth and Teaching against the things the city believe in were brought up against him. Plato witnessed the trial and the following events and recorded what he saw in The Apology and The Crito
Some of Socrates followers couldn’t believe tha ...