PHILOS 1A03 Lecture 5: Lecture September 15
15 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Dikasts: group of 501 athenian jurors which hear socrates" trial. Socrates prefers to follow his own conscience rather than the democracy of his city. Socrates mocks everyone who takes part in the trial. Athens had been a democracy for about a century during socrates" time. At the time of socrates" trial alcibiades was dead. He was the son of one of athens" greatest families, attractive, a leader; but was hostile towards democracy. (socrates was his friend and associated with him) Ancient views on the faults of democracy: the masses are childish, fickle, easily mislead, democracy is unnatural, a tyranny of the weak over the strong. Good politics isn"t possible until the wise are in charge. You"re not fully virtuous until you"re wise, and you won"t be happy until you"re wise. Socrates is not an atheist, instead he wants god, but he believes the gods are models of virtue and wisdom, not saviors.
