Apology, by Plato.
Cool quote from text:
“the unexamined life is not worth living.”
You can read the Apology here: https://godandgoodlife.nd.edu/assets/261104/the_apology_of_socrates.pdf.
Socrates is on trial in Athens for the charges brought up by Meletus, Anytus and Lycon. In the speech, which is the structure of the Apology, Socrates first states that the current charges are actually an amalgamation of old charges from past accusers who have developed contempt for the cool philosopher.
“I have to reply to the older charges and to my first accusers, and then I will go on to the later ones.”
First, Socrates states that current charges of the Meletus and friends are that he makes irrational claims and tries to indoctrinate the youth with these claims. Yet, Socrates had only said that he knew nothing, which is a fundamental aspect of his own philosophy. Also, Socrates was never a teacher, or a paid teacher. In fact, Socrates says that he does not even hold the ability to teach.
“But the truth is, O Athenians, that I have nothing to do with physical speculations.”
“Had I the [ability to teach], I should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of the kind.”
So Socrates now explains what the real charges are, which are the old ones. He tells the Athenians a story of his late friend Chaerephon, who in the past had visited the God of Delphi. The oracle told Chaerephon that no man was wiser than Socrates. But Socrates admits that he doesn’t know anything, so the oracle must be wrong, and Socrates goes around Athens to prove that someone is wiser than him. In this endeavor, he had angered many.
“Then I went to one man after another, being not unconscious of the enmity which I provoked,”
He states that he had not been able to refute the oracle, even after going to the best people of Athens: the politicians, poets, artisands and orators. The people he visited were all skilled in their craft, yet this made them think that they were wise, which in reality overshadowed their wisdom. Socrates emphasizes that to be truly wise, one must concede that they know nothing and that wisdom lies completely in God.
“But I observed that even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets;--because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their wisdom”
Socrates then goes on to explain how these charges have formed into the current charges. When Socrates went around to disprove the oracle, and the young men, who are amused at Socrate’s efforts, began to mimic Socrates. From a distance, it seems as if Socrates has turned them into himself, of which seems bad to most Athenians. These charges are now picked up by Meletus, Anytos and Lycon, where the new affidavit states that “Socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own.”
Now Socrates 1v1s Meletus. Socrates starts by questions whether or not his crimes are intentional or not, Meletus affirms that they are intentional. Socrates then responds saying that if he imprints darkness and evil into someone else, it would come back to harm himself as it would foster a society of bad people, so Socrates must be doing it unintentioanlly.
In Socrates’ second argument, the philosopher uses Meletus’ response that Socrates is indoctrinating Athenians with ideas of specious divinities and that he is ALSO atheist. This is a contradiction, as if one is talking of spiritual divinities, he must be talking about some God or association of God, and therefore can not possibly be an atheist.
“Socrates: I suppose you mean, as I infer from your indictment, that I teach them not to acknowledge the gods which the state acknowledges, but some other new divinities or spiritual agencies in their stead.
Meletus: Yes...
Socrates: Meletus, of whom we are speaking, tell me and the court, in somewhat plainer terms, what you mean! for I do not as yet understand whether you affirm that I teach other men to acknowledge some gods, and therefore that I do believe in gods, and am not an entire atheist…
Meletus: I mean the latter--that you are a complete atheist.
Socrates: What an extraordinary statement…”
Socrates famously deems himself a gadfly, going around Athens to invoke virtue, like a father or elder. Socrates then contends that it should be the family of those who he has taught that are to be the most angry with the effects of his work, but they're here defending him.
But with all the evidence, Socrates still wishes to the judges to do what they think is right.
The court votes to condemn Socrates, and now both sides must try to argue for a punishment. Socrates deems that he should be rewarded, for he is doing a virtuous deed by going around like a gadfly, or if not, he should be fined or even killed, which would be a blessing; but he should never want to be exiled or imprisoned. He states that exile or imprisonment will prevent Socrates from being able to spread virtue. Socrates ends up wanting a large fine, which is wealthy friends will help with.
“Shall I have to lie in prison… [or] be drive[n] out… that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore I cannot hold my tongue.”
In the epilogue, it is said that death will be the punishment of Socrates. Socrates thinks of two rationales of death. First, death is just the end of existence, to which he compares it to a peaceful sleep that he can never be rudely awoken from. Second, he sees death as the next step of life, where he will be able to go to another place and converse with very noble men of the past like the authors Hesiod and Homer.
“What would not a man give if he might converse with Orpheus and Musaeus and Hesiod and Homer? Nay, if this be true, let me die again and again. I myself, too, shall have a wonderful interest in there meeting and conversing with Palamedes, and Ajax the son of Telamon, and any other ancient hero who has suffered death through an unjust judgment; and there will be no small pleasure, as I think, in comparing my own sufferings with theirs.”