Socrates, a seeker of virtue, free thought and many question developed the
philosophical thinking of the Western world today. However, did Socrates really exist?
That is a question asked by many because all of the records of Socrates work were not
written by him but of his pupils, primarily Plato and Xenophon. If these dialogues
written by his students are true then it is clear that Socrates was a man who sought out
for wisdom and piety through reasoning and questions. His philosophical teachings
were not only voiced through his words but were also expressed through his actions,
which is asserted a thousand times fold.
Socrates never declared himself a teacher, but had many followers. He would
converse with many, never to win a battle of arguments but to truly seek genuine
knowledge and would accept nothing less than an adequate response to his proposals.
During his public speeches he would discuss on the topic of "perfecting the soul," in
other words, the purity of a beings soul is far greater than materialistic values, such as
money, position and power.1 A person’s way of improving his soul, his spiritual life
and moral actions were the main points of Socrates' teachings. Even through accusations
of corruption, persecution, and death Socrates held his beliefs high and never swayed to
the unjust convictions made against him.2 Powerful movements such as this could be
seen two thousands years since Socrates passed, through such figures as Gandhi and Dr.
King who also spoke their minds in what they believed to be principled, but not only
through words but through conduct.
Spring of 399 B.C. when Socrates was seventy years old, he was accused of
impiety, corruption of the youth and belief in false deities.3 In The Apology Socrates is
tried in a court of 501 people.4 Here he defends himself among a court of Athenians
who already had a strong prejudice against Socrates whose minds were...