Reply to post: Re: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

FBI: Your real SECURITY TERROR? An ANGRY INSIDE MAN

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

Re: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

"The crime was teaching the youngsters to think for themselves..."

No, the crime was that of instilling anti-democratic attitudes into the youth. Socrates despised the idea of democracy and made no secret of it. Additionally he deliberately provoked the 500 citizen jury, clearly hoping to receive the death penalty, then refused to accept his friends' aid in escaping the execution. He wanted to tar the democrats with his own blood.

The Athenian democracy had just gone thru a hideous and bloody (but short-lived) takeover by oligarchs, and they were in no mood to tolerate someone repeatedly advocating the end of the democracy they had just recovered. Too many had died at the hands of the dictatorship.

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