Death of Socrates
Why did Socrates have to die? What did he ever do to anybody? Why did people hate him so?
Three very important questions and the answers reverberate to this very day. In his Apology Socrates discusses his methods of gathering information which was the very cause of his death. Those in power got to that position by appearing smart, well rounded and capable individuals. Socrates in trying to understand how they became so successful exposed the limits of their knowledge, publicly and made them look like complete fools. They got their revenge and were happy for that but we remember Socrates and not the men who killed him.
A modern example. The Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925. A substitute biology teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution, possibly. It was a made up charge and Scopes himself didn`t actually take it too seriously. However the trial exploded and became a battle between the fundamentalist and scientific movements that continue to the day. Long story short Scopes lost, was fined a 100 dollars, which was overturned on a technicality and life went on. However the trial itself showcased the power of science over religion and the religious fundamentals who existed before then but without much of a voice were hurt. They went to ground and reemerged stronger and ready to take on science on it`s own terms. They didn`t like to have their ignorance exposed and will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening again. You can see them today, active in politics along with every day life in which the bible is touted as being 100% accurate and not the guide it was created as.
Socrates was said to be the wisest man who ever lived but when he disputed that claim he went out humbly and tried to find wiser men. Each time he exposed their ignorance his list of enemies grew. That is why they hated him and wanted him dead. A man can live not knowing everything but when somebody points that out to you and doesn`t give you the chance to respond properly well they are to be reviled. That is why he had to die. So that we could save our face and continue to respect ourselves.
Three very important questions and the answers reverberate to this very day. In his Apology Socrates discusses his methods of gathering information which was the very cause of his death. Those in power got to that position by appearing smart, well rounded and capable individuals. Socrates in trying to understand how they became so successful exposed the limits of their knowledge, publicly and made them look like complete fools. They got their revenge and were happy for that but we remember Socrates and not the men who killed him.
A modern example. The Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925. A substitute biology teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution, possibly. It was a made up charge and Scopes himself didn`t actually take it too seriously. However the trial exploded and became a battle between the fundamentalist and scientific movements that continue to the day. Long story short Scopes lost, was fined a 100 dollars, which was overturned on a technicality and life went on. However the trial itself showcased the power of science over religion and the religious fundamentals who existed before then but without much of a voice were hurt. They went to ground and reemerged stronger and ready to take on science on it`s own terms. They didn`t like to have their ignorance exposed and will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening again. You can see them today, active in politics along with every day life in which the bible is touted as being 100% accurate and not the guide it was created as.
Socrates was said to be the wisest man who ever lived but when he disputed that claim he went out humbly and tried to find wiser men. Each time he exposed their ignorance his list of enemies grew. That is why they hated him and wanted him dead. A man can live not knowing everything but when somebody points that out to you and doesn`t give you the chance to respond properly well they are to be reviled. That is why he had to die. So that we could save our face and continue to respect ourselves.
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