The point that Socrates makes is that, in the same way, no person can believe in spiritual and divine agencies without also believing in spirits or demigods.
In this way, the accuser, Meletus, contradicts himself by saying that Socrates teaches and believes in divine agencies without in fact believing in the gods themselves. Socrates shows the illogical nature of this accusation by making the point that one cannot believe in a divine manifestation without also believing in the god behind it. Indeed, it would be as absurd as believing that mules exist without believing in the horses and donkeys that created them. Socrates here correctly accuses Meletus that he in fact has nothing to accuse the philosopher of, and proves himself to be a believer in the religion of the time.
4. Socrates' reaction to his sentence is interesting, while also being in keeping with the philosopher's general views and bearing during his life. He completely accepts the sentence, even while he knows the officials who made the accusations and brought the sentence are corrupt. Rather than lashing out against them, he chooses a peaceful departure. This indicates a number of basic assumptions that Socrates makes about life and death.
Socrates does not assume an inherent "truth" about death. He acknowledges that it can be either complete annihilation or the culmination of the soul in life after death. What he does however assume is that it will probably be good, regardless of which occurs when he dies. He explicates this by addressing...
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