How Socrates' Method Of Critical Thinking Led To His Execution

Socrates is considered one of the greatest philosophers of all time, on par with other great minds such as Plato, Aristotle, and Epicurus. He made significant contributions to philosophy by seeking to think more critically. Socrates challenged people to question their assumptions and beliefs about themselves and the world around them. This gained him many admirers, but it also made him a social outcast, ultimately leading to his death.

Who Was Socrates?

Socrates was a philosopher in born in 470 BCE in Ancient Greece. Socrates didn't record any of his philosophy. Instead, his teachings live on through his students and admirers. Plato and Xenophon have works that reference Socrates and outline his philosophy. They both portray Socrates as a wise man dedicated to self-mastery and argumentative skill.

Socrates is famous for saying, "The only thing that I know, is that I know nothing." He wasn't humbly bragging when he said this. This quote reflects his view that we can never really know anything for certain. While we can hold certain beliefs and opinions, we never really know if they are correct. This is an idea that has now been debated for centuries. Thinking about it forces us to challenge our own beliefs, which is what Socrates did best. This belief in critical thinking is the backbone of his famous philosophy, the Socratic method.

The Socratic Method

The Socratic method is a term used vaguely in education today. However, it is a real method developed by Socrates. At its core, the Socratic method asks someone a series of questions to lead them to a deeper understanding of a subject. This was important to Socrates because he believed that by questioning our assumptions, we could better understand ourselves and the world around us. Another important part of the method is intellectual humility. This means being open to the perspectives and ideas of others. Socrates would use the Socratic method to guide his interlocutors toward questioning their beliefs and ideas rather than outright feeding them his opinion.

A Hated Man

Despite Socrates' contributions to philosophy and his community, the public hated him. Many people misunderstood who Socrates was. This is in part because of beauty and status-obsessed Athens. Unlike his students and admirers, Socrates did not come from wealth and he had no interest in politics. Socrates further stood out because he was considered ugly. In ancient Greece, beauty was an important part of life and success. Socrates was also controversial and pushed back against the mainstream views at the time, such as Greek Democracy. However, this was one of the milder controversies Socrates committed. Socrates was so controversial that he was ridiculed publicly in plays. One of the plays mocking Socrates that still exists today is Aristophanes’ play Clouds.

Beyond opposing social standards, Socrates also openly defied power. In one instance he refused to help in the arrest and execution of a man named Leon of Salamis. This ruffled more than a few feathers and some people saw Socrates as a threat to Greek society. At this time, Athens was changing and many people were exhausted by Socrates questioning. Socrates often got into trouble by asking questions about the beliefs of his fellow citizens. Some historians believe Socrates became more hated because people didn't want to reflect on themselves.

Socrates' Death

Socrates was brought to trial on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. Although Socrates' indictment claimed he was charged with impiety for failing to recognize the gods at the time, this was peculiar. Socrates was known to refer to a single god or deity that was unknown to people at the time, possibly as an addition to or replacement of the existing Greek gods. However, there were foreigners, non-citizens, and slaves who followed different religions in Athens. As far as corrupting the youth, Socrates' conversations with the youth caused them to express dissent and rebel against existing ideals. Socrates's encouragement of critical thinking ultimately led to his downfall.

Socrates had to face the consequences of his conviction in an Athens court. Socrates represented himself, but, unfortunately, the jury of 500 men in court found Socrates guilty. The justice system in Ancient Greece allowed the defendants to suggest their own punishments. Socrates cracked a joke that he should be rewarded, but the jurors did not find this funny. If anything, it aggravated them since most of them voted in favor of the death penalty. Socrates was given the choice of exile, but he chose to remain in the city and honor the law. A cup of poison, likely Hemlock, was given to Socrates to drink, causing his death at around the age of 70.

Legacy

Ancient Athens may have executed Socrates, but they couldn't take away his philosophical ideas that infiltrated Greek society. Even though he has no written work himself, his philosophy lives on through the works of his admirers like Plato. From these works, we have learned about important ideas such as the Socratic method. The Socratic method teaches critical thinking and reflects Socrates' desire for deeper inquiry and understanding in life. It's admirable that he dedicated his life to teaching others how to question more and think critically despite the consequences.

The legacy Socrates left behind is to question the world around us and think critically. Socrates stuck to his philosophy and teaching, even though it eventually killed him. There is value for everyone in questioning more, even if the cost is sticking out from the crowd.