A Hoax in Court

1383 Words3 Pages

Albert Einstein quoted, “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” (Brainy Quote) Was there truth and justice in the trial of Socrates? First, what is justice? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of justice is the administration of law, especially the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity. Meletus brought an elder man to court for corrupting the youth and for refusing to believe in the gods of the city. 501 Athenian male citizens sat in the jury to judge and base their decisions off Meletus’s accusations and Socrates’ defense to pronounce Socrates as guilty. Who is to declare that a trial has gone through the correct process to fully come to a decision of guilty or not guilty? Is a quick and speedy trial necessarily a just trial? What does Meletus deliver to the jury that helps them come to the conclusion that Socrates is guilty? We answer these questions by examining the justice, if there was any, in the courtroom of Socrates vs. Meletus. When you look at why Meletus brought Socrates to court, the “evidence” that Meletus brought against Socrates, and the length of the hearing, you will see that justice was not carried out in Socrates’ trial.

Socrates’ first charge is for corrupting the young. (Apology, p.27) How is it that one elder man can corrupt the youth for so many years, but is now being convicted just a few years before his death? If the morals and values of young children are being warped or damaged, wouldn’t it take more than one source to completely alter their own personal ideas? Socrates believes that he is the one who improves ...

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...ted me.” (Apology, p.38) Justice would have been the thirty men that voted differently. This is not a large or small problem, but rather an issue concerning the treatment of people. It is the treatment of an elder man with much wisdom and intellect. Socrates is a man who should be found not guilty in the court of law for corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods. Socrates should have been found innocent through truth and justice by a jury of 501 Athenian men.

Works Cited

"Justice Quotes - BrainyQuote." Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. Web. 05 Sept. 2011. .

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2005. Print.

Cooper, John M., and Plato. The Trial and Death of Socrates. Trans. G.M.A. Grube. 3rd ed. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett, 2000. 27, 28, 29, 31, 36, 38. Print.

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