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The article said that Socrates was nearly blind and (perhaps could feel that he was) approaching senility. He was also associated with the thirty tyrants, and t
by chasil 4y ago
The article said that Socrates was nearly blind and (perhaps could feel that he was) approaching senility. He was also associated with the thirty tyrants, and they had been his students.
The arguments end with this:
"And Socrates was wise enough to give his life for it. He had ample opportunity to escape. But he threw himself into this bonfire of psychic incongruity to give one last gift to his fellow Athenians. This sacrifice is, perhaps, Socrates' greatest contribution to his beloved Athens."
I did not know any of that, but I only read the Symposium.
- mr_toad 4y agoHis own arguments in his defence and his nominated penalty suggest that perhaps he was not mentally fit to stand trial. I think a modern defence lawyer could certainly have made that case. And there are other aspects of his life that suggest possible mental illness, including his belief in eudaemonia and his apparently poor standards of personal care.
- chasil 4y agoThe article cites a rumor that he remained silent, instead of offering a defense. Neither action would be a great surprise. "Maximus also references(1), via rumor, that Socrates most likely stood mute and defiant at the trial, facing down his accusers."