Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Western civilization as we know it today has been greatly influenced by the teachings of Socrates. Socrates was born in Athens and lived from circa 469 to 399 BC. He was the son of a sculptor, named Sophroniscus, who received no formal education. Socrates made a name for himself in the Peloponnesian War where he was a successful hoplite, an armored infantryman. Socrates’ prominence in society was increased with his appearance in the plays Connus and Clouds around 423 BC (Plato xxiv). Socrates was a very wise man who by inspiration from the Oracle at Delphi seeked out men thought to be wise, only to conclude that they were not and he was. Many upper class men were intimidated by Socrates and accused him of unlawful things. In The Last Days Of Socrates, Plato describes two accounts known as The Apology and Justice and Duty (also known as The Crito). These two works describe the trial and tribulations of Socrates. Ultimately, the Athenian government wrongfully decides to condem...