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Socrates Argument Against Charges
The Apology: The horse-breaker analogy
The trial of Socrates came about because he was the teacher of several radical aristocrats who attempted to overthrow Athenian democracy and replace it with an oligarchy. Socrates had taught many of these men philosophy, and he advocated a philosophical kingdom ruled by elite philosophers as the ideal form of government. Socrates believed that just as the people most suited to make shoes should be cobblers, only the most intelligent and intellectually 'fit' should be allowed to rule (Stone 1979). When Athens was threatened, Socrates was prosecuted (Stone 1979). Socrates' analogy of the horse-tamer is in response to Meletus' claim that everyone else is a positive influence upon the youth of Athens --...
Socrates points out specialized individuals are required to tame a horse, rather than ordinary individuals. This suggests that only educators can have an influence upon young, untamed animals, not greater society. Socrates claims that because most of his students are good and not corrupt, he is a good teacher and influence.
Socrates' argument is profoundly antagonistic, although Meletus is unable to fully refute it. Socrates suggests that he alone, as an experienced teacher, can act as a good or bad influence upon the youth, and the fact that not all of his young pupils are bad means that Socrates can take credit for the result, much like a good horse-tamer. This supports Socrates' aristocratic view of the world that certain people are more fit to rule over the young, such as himself. It suggests he is not a corruptor of the young, but an elevator of the moral character of young people.
The first problem with the horse-tamer analogy is that it seems fundamentally inaccurate, even for horses. An animal can have one good 'tamer' but that does not necessarily mean that he will be influenced only by his trainer, and may even be more influenced by the ordinary people who ride him…
Work Cited
Stone, I.F. "The trial of Socrates." The New York Times Magazine. 8 Apr 1979. [8 Feb 2012]
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/socrates/ifstoneinterview.html
Socrates argues that the accusation is absurd, as the accusation implies that he is solely responsible for the state of the youth. Socrates uses the allegory of a horse trainer to explain that he is a trainer, rather than corruptor, of the youth (Cavalier, "Ancient Philosophy"). Socrates' second argument in his defense is that, had harmed the youth, the philosophy that evil begets evil would dictate that the youth would
Plato, The Apology of Socrates The charges against Socrates, as given in Plato's Apology, are twofold. This is how Socrates himself phrases it: And now I will try to defend myself against them: these new accusers must also have their affidavit read. What do they say? Something of this sort: - That Socrates is a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of
Furthermore, many laypeople can have great stores of knowledge, and may have learned to train horses better than professionals -- and to be better teachers and philosophers, from personal experience. In fact, given that philosophy is the study of life, one could argue that ordinary people are the best teachers of the discipline. This is one of the principles of the democratic Athenian system, that everyday people can govern
Socrates and the Apology One of the main charges against Socrates revolved around the fact that he was a natural philosopher. This was so problematic as it was in opposition with the views set forth by this early society: these views believed that the society was created via the gods and a great many narratives were developed around the idea of the gods, and what they were capable of and how
Socrates: Offering Legal Counsel Socrates, the charges that you face are serious ones. For many years, you were allowed to wander the streets of Athens, advocating your moral philosophy of ideal governance. Your concept of 'philosopher kings' having the right to rule, versus the ordinary populace, was profoundly at odds with the ideology commonly espoused in democratic Athens. For many years, you were allowed to speak as you wished. But gradually,
SOCRATES' DECISION-defense Before we begin our discussion on Socrates' decision and take a position on this issue, we must bear in mind that philosophy doesn't offer any clear-cut answers to perplexing questions or situations. For this reason, we need to closely study various writings and philosophies and strive to interpret them in our way. The reason Socrates' decision is still embroiled in controversy is because many fail to see consistency between what