Outline Lecture Eleven—Living the Examined Life: Socrates

I) Socrates: Both Embodiment and Nemesis of a Democratic Polis

a) 399 B.C.E. trial and death of Socrates
i) Reasons for his notoriety in Athens
ii) Threat to the conservative and traditional establishment of Athens
(1) Not a question of him being guilty or innocent, or of Athens being right or wrong
(2) Why a “Hegelian tragedy”?
b) The Historical Setting Behind the Trial
i) Post-Peloponnesian War Athens
(1) Athens after disastrous Sicilian Expedition of 413 B.C.E.
(a) Had been championed and led by Alcibiades
(b) Expeditionary force to aid some remote allies in Sicily
(2) Alcibiades association with Socrates
ii) Wake of Athens’s bitter surrender to Sparta in 404
(1) Dictatorship under Spartan general—Lysander
(2) A “reign of terror” administered by the “Thirty” led by Critias in 404
Trial led by Spartan placed oliagarks

II) The Proceedings of the Trial in 399 BCE

a) How was Socrates portrayed in Plato’s “Apology”
i) Credibility of Plato’s account?
(1) In his interest to portray his teacher in the best light possible
(2) Exaggeration because of Plato’s own bias
(3) When the Apology was made public there were still many Athenians who were
present at the trial who were still alive so he had to stay pretty close to what
actually happened
(4) Credibility in account because of other eye witnesses who would have challenged
Plato
ii) The meaning of “Apologia” in Greek
Apology = defense
Defense of Socrates
(1) Explains dismissive attitude towards Meletus, Antynus, and Lycon
Didn’t take his accusers seriously
No respect for them
Was obvious about how he was dismissive of them
(2) Uncompromising aloofness towards jurors
(a) Carried air of uncompromised aloofness
(b) Mocking their aloofness with his Socratic method
(c) Wouldn’t pander to their egos and sensitivities
(d) Wouldn’t stoop to civility to save his own life
(3) Defiance towards the ultimate power they held over him
(a) “The unexamined life is not worth living”
(b) Ultimate power the jury held over him was death – of which he had no fear
(c) Worst to do? Not afraid of
(d) Allows him to say anything
 (e) Why not afraid? It is irrational to fear what we do not know. Maybe the soul
transmigrates, maybe it vanishes into nothingness (who knows where he got
this idea of transmigration – very unusual)
(f) More important for a person to die with their integrity intact than to live alive
(g) “The unexamined life is not worth living” most famous Socrates quote
iii) Trial as Podium
Not him showing remorse or begging for his life, but it become a podium to espouse
his last lesson. Turns it into a classroom
(1) Perfect platform for his final exercise of the “Socratic Method”
(2) Corrective or pariah to the Athenian status quo?
(a) 501 jury
(b) Entire assembly – standing room only
(c) Perfect for him because he’s never had this type of captive audience
(i) He has everyone’s attention
(ii) Takes advantage
(d) Turn the tables on his peers – puts his fellow Athenians on trial
(e) What is the reaction of the jurors and accusers? They see it as pure arrogance
– Socrates is the worst type of pariah
(i) Bad for them is challenging their core values (guilty)
(ii) But maybe if you listen and understand he is a necessary corrective (not
guilty)
b) The Demise of Athenian Democracy
Always loved and stayed in Athens
Trying to point out its issues
i) Importance of the ideal size of a polis
(1) Small enough to instill in each citizen an ethos of civic duty and self-governing
(a) Necessary for its success (5000 citizens – males) – Aristotle’s idea of the best
number for a viable democracy and economy
(b) Can’t be too small to where it falls apart economically, but not so big that
people could not recognize each other by sight
(c) When Athens was a smaller democracy citizens would meet to make decisions
(i) Allows people to call each other out – more accountability
(ii) Small enough – less division between individual and state – state is the
sum of its individuals and not a separate unit
(d) Aristotle would laugh at our democracy because of size, government, follow
of values
(i) Athens was no longer like that
1. After Athens defeated
2. Delian league: Athens at its helm
3. Had become imperial power
a. Large, rich, little semblance of what it was before
(ii) Battles of victories against tremendous odds, every citizen had a stake in
the goal
(2) Ideally, a system without bureaucracy, red-tape, or deferral of power
ii) Changing political landscape in the 5th century
(1) Less concern for To Koinon or the “greater good”
 (a) Every citizen had a stake in the greater good
(b) In Socrates’s time that was long gone
(c) Dominated by the merchant class
(d) Change reflected in the type of government they constructed
(2) The Boulệ—Council of 500 of men picked by straw ballot
(a) This group set agenda for the rest of the assembly
(b) Like representatives in congress but only in office for 1 year
(i) Can raise hell and leave with no accountability
(ii) Can’t get anything done
(iii) Random pick
1. No continuity and no expertise
(iv) Can’t get anything done so might as well take advantage
1. Many just used it as a self-advantaging type of thing
2. Grab what you can and get out
(c) Sell off office to someone else because you’re ‘too busy’
(3) Dangers of demagoguery
(a) Because of lack of belief in To Koinan
(b) Leaders that appeal to the prejudice and fears of the populous to get what they
want – specifically aim at potential prejudice and fear
(c) Pander to fears and selfish interests of fellow citizens
(d) “Wickedness, corruption, debauchery are always easier to disguise in a
democracy than in an aristocracy” – by an aristocrat

III) The Self-defense of Socrates No lawyers – defend yourselves in Athens

a) His Defense for “Dabbling in Metaphysical Matters”
Secret or dark magic he was using and training his students in
Claiming to know the secrets of the universe that he could share with his students
Response: “Specialty is always confined to human wisdom”

i) His specialty is only confined to “human wisdom” (Plato) or “moral virtues”

(Xenophon)
(1) Two different takes on what Socrates says
(2) Important difference
(3) Main thing: Socrates “I have never pretended to know anything that is beyond this
world. My whole interest is in wisdom that is applicable to this life. It is important
to know that one does not know.”
(a) Most unwise are those that claim otherwise (Like Meletus)
(4) Just because Meletus is a skilled poet doesn’t mean he is a good governor
(5) Just because etc etc etc
(6) Socrates “Just because I am a good stone mason does that mean I know
everything else?”
(a) Pointing out a fundamental part of Athenian democracy: The assumption that
everyone is so well-rounded that they can do all things
(i) Hated idea of specialization
(b) He’s saying ‘we’ve been fooling ourselves
(c) Hits at the heart of what Athenians take for granted
 ii) Presumptuousness of individuals
(1) Dangerous
iii) Implication: Polis run by presumptuous, arrogant amateurs is dangerous; majority
rule can mean rule by the ignorant mob
(1) Polis can’t be put in the hands of mob
(2) Polis can easily be led astray by, say, a demagogue
(3) Populism does not necessarily provide the best outcome to a place
(4) Defends himself and turns the tables to say the ‘we are the problem’

b) His Defense against Corrupting the Youth

Why would I do that? I’m an old man.
What reason to intentionally mislead the people he depends on
Just a logical argument
i) Against personal interests
(1) Why harm the polis when his welfare is identical to that of the polis?
(2) Logically makes sense, but he was really popular among the young
(3) Why? Charisma, he gave them the courage to question their elders, challenge
what the elders assume and inherited wisdom
ii) Socrates’s iconoclasm
iii) Is a teacher responsible for the conduct of his or her students?
(1) Teacher responsible for student conduct?
(2) Is Socrates responsible for one of his students turning out bad
c) His Defense against Religious Impiety
Socrates: I’m not interested in figuring out which gods to worship
Daemon
i) Respectful agnosticism
ii) His personal “divine” experience
(1) The meaning of “daemon”
(a) Refers some kind of personal spirit that sometimes speaks to him
(b) Daemon he has always been accustomed to have this constant companion and
he hears it when he needs to make an important decision
(c) Spoke in the most difficult of times
(d) Examples: In the wake of the defeat there was a part of the athenian fleet
destroyed and Athens needed a scapegoat and used some generals for that
scapegoat – everyone voted to punish them, Socrates alone said no
Example: Thirty was installed by Spartans and everyone was turning in
former friends – Socrates alone refused to succumb to pressures
(i) Because of his conscience
(2) “Gentlemen, I am your very grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a greater
obedience to my daemon than to you; and so long as I draw breath and have my
faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy.” – Similar to JOB and
Confucius – different times and cultures but all based around integrity etc.
What is moral is god, what is right is divine
Philosophy: Love for the truth, integrity
Challenges system but still is the ideal man of Athens
IV)Socrates as the Manifestation of the Athenian Ideal
a) His Insistence on his Duty as a Citizen
i) Sense of duty as a soldier
(1) Decorated soldier
(2) Many stories of him as a hero – run back into battle and save his soldiers in battle
ii) Sense of duty as a philosopher
(1) Gadfly of him, Athens was a sluggish horse – he needed to prod and annoy
Athens back into its person
iii) Sense of duty as a citizen convicted by his peers
(1) Has to accept verdict with grace
(2) In the Crito: Crito tries to rescue him but Socrates says no – never
(a) It would be the ultimate betrayal of his duty as a citizen
(b) Crito pleads but he absolutely refuses
(c) Socrates would not betray leave or abandon his parents just as he would not
do so to the laws of his city
(i) One should either persuade or obey
(ii) Tried to persuade but it didn’t work so he obeys
iv) Treats the laws of the polis as his parents
Would never choose another place even if they try to kills him
(1) Social contract with Athens
(2) One should either persuade or obey
b) Death as his Final Duty: accepting his death is his final duty as a citizen of Athens
i) The final vote: 280 to 221
(1) Second vote was punishment: hefty fine or death?
(2) 2/3s voted for death; why? Threat Socrates posed if he lived perhaps – had some
rich friends who would pay fine
ii) Socrates in “Crito”
(1) Socrates that comes across as unperturbed even though he is going to die
(2) Free of resentment, doubts, fear and anxiety
(3) Sense of equanimity and duty as a citizen
iii) Tragic Irony
(1) “A Hegelian tragedy, a conflict, in which both sides were right”
(a) Don’t blame Athens: Context of vulnerability must be taken into account
(b) Athens killed their greatest champion not because they wanted to but more
because they had to in order to survive
(c) Socrates had to die and city had to kill him because of who he is