Legitimacy of Theories

1. Do you think these charges are legitimate?  Is this a fair trial?

In Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, & Crito translated by F.J. Church, it can be argued whether the charges against Socrates were legitimate and if the trial against Socrates was conducted in a fair manner. I believe the charges laid against Socrates were legitimate; Socrates was initially being accused of corrupting “the young men growing up” and claiming that he [Socrates] is “a maker of gods” (Euthyphro, pg.2). I agree due to the period of time that this thought would be considered unjust (impious) and unsettling with the rest of Greek society. The trial on the other hand, was unfortunately one sided where Socrates knew his ideas would not be favored by the elders of Athens. Socrate ideas were new and went against the morals and previous beliefs that the society had believed in, which landed him in the trial in the first place.

During the Euthyphro and Apology, the argument of what is right (pious) and what is believed to be pious by the gods is constantly being criticized. Through the attempted teachings to the youth, the argument allowed room for accusations to be laid out. Specifically in the Apology, Socrates and Meletus engage in arguments whether Socrates believes in god or not. Socrates tells Meletus that he himself does in fact “believe in divinities” (Apology, 33) when Meletus’s main base argument was to prove that Socrates does not believe in any god and ultimately Socrates himself is a “complete Atheist” (Apology, 32). As a counter argument Socrates states that if one man believes in the children made by the gods then how can they not believe in the gods themselves? 

In turn, to refute the prejudice arisen by accusations that Socrates was impious in the fact that he went against the religious beliefs, Socrates goes on and explains that the Oracle had foretold him that he was the "wisest of men" (Apology, 26) further ensuing his pursuit of knowledge and clarification of his ideas and the ideals shrouding the society. And it was under this notion that Socrates was compelled to have a healthy criticism towards any aspect retaining to Athens, even if this meant flirting with a controversial subject such as religion.  In the end, the trial was unfair because before Socrates' argument he knew he had persuaded some of the elders and youth, the one’s that had constantly “attacked” Socrates’ theories from the start were the one’s feared the most. Socrates reconciliation with the link between his views of god and what the Greek society believed in was solidified by stating that, “piety and what is pleasing to the gods are different things” (Euthyphro, pg. 13). In the end, Socrates willingly accepted death with open arms.