Plato 1

Julia Plato
Professor David Flanagan
Power and Justice in Classical Athens
October 17, 2016
Socrates: The Desire for Death
One of the most famous trials of history took place in Ancient Athens in 399 BC
regarding the punishment for the philosopher, Socrates. Socrates was charged with
corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods of the city. He was punished with the
death penalty because the people of his time believed he was guilty of these allegations,
however, many believe that the punishment of death was too harsh. During his defense
speech against these convictions, Socrates made many points justifying the way he lived
his life, however he did not apologize or make excuses for his actions. Instead it seemed
as though his mind, along with the judges, had already been made up about his fate.
Socrates wanted to die and had made choices to place himself in the position to accept
death. Although some may argue that Socrates punishment was unjust, the truth is that he
sought after death and took actions to ensure this fate because, he desired true knowledge
and the fulfillment of the gods will.
Many scholars believe that the death penalty was unjust for Socrates because he
truly did believe in the gods. Socrates showed that he believed in these divinities by
implementing them into his everyday life. Meletus, one of Socrates prosecutors, accused
Socrates of not, believ[ing] in the gods at all (Plato, Apology 26c). Socrates easily
refuted this by explaining that, I believe in gods, since at least I believe in spirits (Plato,

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Apology 27d). He argued that he believed in gods because spirits and gods are both
spiritual beings. According to Socrates, it was impossible to believe in gods without
believing in spiritual beings, bringing Meletus accusation crashing to the ground.
However, when Socrates was convicted, he made choices to ensure this death penalty so
he could join the gods and escape the prejudices about his faith that followed him
throughout his life. The punishment may have seemed unjust to people at the time, but
Socrates wanted that result. Socrates showed this desire to join the gods through actions
in his everyday life, especially concerning his death sentence when he said, I am
allowed, or rather bound, to pray the gods that my removal from this world to the other
may be prosperous (Plato, Phaedo 117c). Here, he showed that he truly believed that
there were gods in the world beyond and prayed to them in hopes that he would be
brought to their world in peace. Instead of Socrates acting in a way that defied the gods,
he made his decisions with the goal of coming into their world.
Socrates was also guilty of corrupting the youth because his example influenced
their behaviors. Although he was a poor role model for those that spoke with him, he did
not purposely seek out youth to corrupt. Socrates spoke of the the young men that
followed him saying that they, enjoy hearing people examined, and often imitate [him],
and then try to examine others (Plato, Apology 23c). The people that were examined
became irritated by these young men who were involving themselves in their personal
business and blamed Socrates because he was the example that his successors were
emulating. Socrates talked with anyone who came up to him in town and happened to
influence these young people simply by their observations and speaking with him.

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Scholars may say that the penalty of death was too severe for this type of accusation,
however Socrates did not change his ways even when he became aware that others
thought he was corrupting the youth. Socrates knew that there were already prejudices
against him and said that If indeed I am corrupting some of the young then surely
some of them who have grown up and recognized that I encouraged them to do wrong
when they were younger ought to accuse me and take their revenge by coming forward
(Plato, Apology 33d). By saying this, Socrates explained that the people who he was said
to have corrupted did not directly accuse him and therefore, those who pressed charges
held prejudices. Even though Socrates was aware of these preconceptions and the
consequences they could bring, Socrates did not change his ways and continued to speak
with anyone who came up to him no matter their age.
In the beginning of Socrates defense speech he acknowledged that this was not
the first accusation he had received, as various people held prejudices against him for
many years. Addressing the jury, he said of the many accusations, the earlier ones worry
me more, men, who having gotten hold of many of you when you were children,
convinced you with accusations against me that werent any truer than the ones I now
face (Plato, Apology, 18b). This explains that rumors had been spread throughout many
generations of Athenian citizens and that his current prosecutors had preconceptions
about his character. Socrates had to live most of his life with people who thought they
knew him, when in reality they only knew the stories passed down to them. He
understood that this was one of the more prominent reasons for his conviction when he
said, and its this thatll convict me the prejudice and ill will of most people (Plato,

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Apology 28b). Socrates was aware that he was not liked by many and could tell that the
reason he would be sentenced to death was a result of the things he had already done or
was said to have done. The things he could say in the courtroom would have little effect
on the ultimate verdict. In order to avoid death, he would have had to make many
different decisions in his life leading up to the trial.
Although there were many prejudices against him, Socrates also gave many people
reasons for having animosity towards him. One of these was the way in which he
communicated. His favorite method of communication was through his Socratic Method.
Socrates Socratic Method of communication began with Socrates asking the interlocutor
a question about the definition of a topic of his interest. Socrates then asked more
questions to which his companion agreed, but which also contradicted the first definition
that the interlocutor provided. Next, a new definition was proposed and the same system
of question began again. Each time, the dialogue ended in the interlocutor admitting that
they truly did not understand the concept. No conclusion was surmised, but Socrates
companion left feeling as if they knew less than they did before. This type of
conversation was often frustrating to those on the interlocutor side of the conversation,
because they were in the middle of Socrates attempt to discover definitions of his
personal interest. Often, Socrates spoke with boastfulness, and arrogance because he
was confident that he was wiser than most people (Stone, 182). Socrates thought he was
wiser than most because he did not pretend to know anything he did not know, whereas
other people pretended to be knowledgeable on subjects with which they were unfamiliar.
This arrogance came into effect when Socrates exposed this lack of wisdom, causing

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others to feel inferior. By putting his method of communication into action through
antagonizing people, Socrates gave the jury reason to have prejudice, prior to the trial.
One example of this occurs in Platos Meno when Anytus, another one of
Socrates accusers, underwent a questioning via the Socratic Method about the true
meaning of virtue. Socrates came to the conclusion that most men are incapable of
teaching virtue because their sons turned out to be bad children. To support his point he
provided examples of well-known men and their sons of the city. Anytus told Socrates
that he should keep his mouth shut so he would not make people angry, to which Socrates
responded, He conceives, in the first place, that I am speaking ill of these gentlemen;
and in the second place, he considers he is one of them himself (Plato, Meno 94e).
Anytus felt targeted by Socrates questioning because he identified with the men that
Socrates included in his conversation, and became offended by the accusations. In
Socrates quest to understand knowledge, Theodorus, a mathematician and fellow
philosopher, backed out of an interrogation and said, for the truth is, that I am unused to
your game of question and answer (Plato, Theaetetus). It was as if Socrates tendency to
antagonize people in search of wisdom was widely known and Theodorus wanted to
avoid such a conversation. Socrates caused people to question their own beliefs and left
them feeling as if they knew less than they thought they did. Theodorus, and many others,
did not wish to feel that way and, in turn, avoided discussions with Socrates. If Socrates
had not pushed the limits of people with his Socratic Method and antagonization, he
would not have strengthened prejudices against himself and would have been able to

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avoid the death penalty. Socrates continued this method of interrogation even into his
own trial, which led to his ultimate demise.
Socrates challenged people in the courtroom by explaining that most people think
they know more than they actually do. In Xenophons Apology, Socrates directly calls out
Anytus, one of his accusers, How foolish this one is who does not seem to know that
whichever of us has accomplished that which is more beneficial and more noble for all
time is the one who prevails (29). By calling Anytus foolish for his pride in setting
Socrates up for the death penalty, he was also calling everyone else in the courtroom
foolish because they were officially punishing him with death. This also shows Socrates
pretentious attitude as he implied that he was the one who had accomplished the most
honorable things. Socrates felt justified in his attitude because he believed that the gods
were on his side. Socrates was conscious of the fact that his attitude and method of
communication did not agree with most people and continued this into the trial. As a
result, Socrates did not make an effort to convince the jury that he was innocent or to
supply an alternative punishment. During his trial, Socrates also spoke of his search for a
person who was wiser than himself. He said that he found that, those who enjoyed the
greatest reputation seemed to me to be pretty much the most lacking, whereas those
who were reputed to be less worthy of consideration were better men when it came to
having good sense (Plato, Apology, 22a). This was antagonizing the jury because most
of the people who were in charge of his trial were the people that had this greater
reputation. By saying this he was implying that even though the people in the highest
class were perceived as the most wise, It was exposed that the lower class of citizens

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actually had more wisdom. The jurors did not appreciate their wisdom being undermined
in front of the people who came to the trial and were less likely to eliminate their
prejudices.
Socrates wish for death continued into the trial as he did not make a realistic
effort to relieve himself of the death penalty. During the trial, Socrates was given the
opportunity to suggest a counter penalty for his actions and said, if Im supposed to
propose a penalty in accordance with what I deserve, I propose to be given meals at the
Prytaneum (Plato, Apology, 37a). The Prytaneum is the place where the most honorable
people of Athens were given free meals. With this outrageous request, Socrates threw
away his only opportunity to persuade the jury that he should be allowed to live. The jury
could not take this proposition into serious consideration and therefore had to penalize
him with death. Some may notice that Socrates had the chance to suggest imprisonment,
exile, or a fine, but instead said, Im not about to treat myself unjustly and to say of
myself that I deserve something evil (Plato, Apology, 37b). On the surface, it seemed as
if he did not think that he did anything to deserve the punishment. However, later in the
speech he explained, Id really have to be in love with living, men of Athens, to be so
illogical as not to be able to see that you werent able to bear my activities and
arguments (Plato, Apology, 37c). This meant that Socrates acknowledged his awareness
that the majority of men in Athens did not appreciate his Socratic method and desire to
gain wisdom. He knew that his method of communication provoked anger, especially in
those of high power, and continued his ways even though there was a perpetual threat of
death.

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Socrates went to such great lengths before and during his trial to ensure his death
because he believed that the divine voices said it was time for him to die. While Socrates
was attempting to write his defense speech, he said that, the gods, rightly opposed
inquiry into my defense at a time when we thought it best to seek for all the ways of
escaping prosecution (Xenophon, Apology 8). This meant that Socrates felt that the gods
did not want him to write his way out of the death penalty because he would be able to
find his way to acquittal. Instead, the gods were calling him to death because they
believed that it was his time to go. Socrates viewed living on earth as being a prisoner to
the rest of the universe and said that, man is a prisoner who has no right to open the door
and run away yet I too believe that the gods are our guardians and that we men are a
possession of theirs (Plato, Phaedo, 445). This quote explains that men cannot simply
leave the earth without a reason, but if the gods call one to death, that person should take
advantage of the opportunity and make the necessary arrangements. Socrates believed
that the gods knew what was best for each person, so if death was the will of the gods,
death was what Socrates would pursue. Not only did the gods know what is best for
people, but it is also the peoples duty to obey the gods. Plato captures Socrates attitudes
towards the Gods calling when Socrates said that, there may be a reason in saying that a
man should wait, and not take his own life until God summons him, as he is now
summoning me (Plato, Phaedo, 445). Socrates saw life as simply a path to death and
therefore, his actions were a way for him to get to his final destination at a quicker rate.
All of his decisions were made with the purpose of death in mind. When Socrates was

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penalized with the death penalty, he knew that the gods were calling him and took the
necessary steps to ensure that he would, in fact, fulfill this prophecy.
Socrates, like most other philosophers desired the ultimate knowledge that can
only be achieved after death. Socrates said that, for if while in company with the body,
the soul cannot have pure knowledge, one of two things follows- either knowledge is not
to be attained at all, or, if at all, after death (Plato, Phaedo 453). This means that the soul
does not have the opportunity to reach its full potential until it is separated from the body.
In other words, the only way that a person is capable of gaining true wisdom, is through
death. Most philosophers look forward to death because it opens the door to true
knowledge (Stone 191). Socrates knew that his many questions would be answered and
he would finally learn the true meaning of virtue, justice, and piety only in death. For this
reason, Socrates did not only look forward to death, he craved it. His desire for
knowledge was so profound that he made every effort to obtain it, even if he had to die in
order to be satisfied. Socrates said that if a philosopher, had the desire of death all his
life long, why when his time comes should he repine at that which he has been always
pursuing and desiring? (Plato, Phaedo 447). Death and the chance to finally obtain true
knowledge was at his fingertips so instead of rejecting it, Socrates seized the opportunity.
To Socrates, this ultimate wisdom and knowledge was found through discovering the
meaning of human existence which was unknown except to the gods. In his conversation
with Cebes, a philosopher and follower of Socrates, in Platos Phaedo, he said that Now
if it be true that the living come from the dead, then our souls must exist in the other
world, for if not, how could they have been born again? (453). This question was one of

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those that he wished to learn the answer to, because no one on earth knew what was
beyond. Socrates speculated that the gods world was beyond life on earth, but the only
way to find out for sure was by dying and learning for ones own self. Not only did he
speak about his excitement for obtaining ultimate knowledge after death, he also acted on
it with these particular methods.
Socrates calm attitude just moments away from his death also indicated his desire
to die. When the servant delivered the poison to Socrates, he, took it quite gratefully, and
without changing the color or the expression on his face (Plato, Phaedo 117b). Here,
Socrates knew that the moment for which he had been waiting the entirety of his
philosophical life was accessible and that he would soon have ultimate knowledge. It was
as if he was satisfied because his fate turned out exactly as he hoped it would.
Additionally, he maintained a sense of humor as he entered deaths door and told his
distressed friends to keep quiet and bear up because he heard that one should die in
solemn silence (Plato, Phaedo 117e). Socrates wanted his friends to understand that this
was a joyous time for him and that they should be glad that he was finally getting what he
wanted. Socrates longed to die so that when the moment came in which he could finally
learn what was in the next world, he was more calm than he had ever been before.
Socrates wanted to die and took necessary steps to ensure his death because he
wanted to fulfill the will of the gods and gain ultimate knowledge. Through his methods
of antagonizing the jury and making unrealistic suggestions for counter-penalties during
the trial, Socrates ensured his death through the death penalty. The prejudices that were
held against him were furthered by himself through his Socratic Method and his arrogant

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attitude. Socrates knew that the way he acted angered people but continued his way of
life despite the eminent repercussions. The idea that prejudices can lead to the fulfillment
of fate made this trial one of the most important in history.

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Works Cited
Plato. Apology of Socrates. Trans. Thomas C. Brickhouse and Nicholas D. Smith.
Brickhouse and Smith, Trial and Execution 42-65.
---. Meno. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Internet Classics Archive,
http://classics.mit.edu/.
---. Theaetetus. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Internet Classics Archive,
http://classics.mit.edu/.
Plato, and Benjamin Jowett, Phaedo, The Dialogues of Plato, Vol. 1. Random
House, 1937
Stone, I. F. The Trial of Socrates. Little, 1988.
Xenophon. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Joel A. Martinez. Brickhouse and
Smith, Trial and Execution 82-87.