Was Athens justified in sending Socrates to Trial?
I believe Athens was not justified in sending Socrates to trial. They sent him to trial on the accusations of studying the heavens and below the earth, making a weaker argument appear stronger, corrupting the youth and being an atheist. Simply put I don’t see any crime here. They accused him of being a scientist that studied things outside this earth, but yet the people of Athens themselves believed in the gods who live outside the earth in the heavens. When it comes to making a weaker argument appear stronger, Socrates might be guilty in that sense but yet the people of Athens are guilty in believing the false appearance of Socrates’ argument. They say Socrates is a corrupter of the youth for teaching them his beliefs but why must everyone share the same opinion. If Socrates has a firm belief on something he should be able to express it to others and let them decide if it is true or not. Now as far as being an atheist this can’t be true if Socrates in a studier of the heavens the two accusation contradict each other. Furthermore Socrates is not an atheist because he says he belives in a God just not the gods Athens belives in. Personally I think Athens put Socrates to trial because they did not like him. They felt Socrates was an annoying old man who has bugged them for a long time and enough was enough. So was Athens justified in putting Socrates to trial? Any way you look at it no they were not, he never committed any crime.