In the U.S. constitution our first amendment is freedom of speech. People everywhere take this privilege to the extreme. From comedians to politicians people everywhere are expressing their views vocally and gain followers in the process. In Athens there was someone who expressed his views through teachings, and was punished with death for doing so. This man's name was Socrates. Due to the restrictions in Athenian democracy Socrates died before his time, but in his death others continued his legacy. With the freedom we have now in 2010, Socrates would have not been put to death. Socrates would have been respected and we would have treated him as we do all our brilliant minds. His audience would have been wider and his following would be astronomical. He was charged with corrupting the youth back in his time, but with all the media and fanatics on TV now, who isn't potentially corrupting the youth?
In understanding why Socrates would fare better in our time then back when he lived in Athens (469-399 B.C), we have know how government was ran in that time period. By 700 B.C. Athens had established a unified polis on the peninsula of Africa. Although early Athens had been ruled by a monarchy, by the seventh century B.C., it had fallen under control of its aristocrats. They possessed the best land and controlled political and religious life by means of a council of nobles called the Areopagus. Although there was an assembly of full citizens, it possessed few powers. (Spielvogel, Jackson J)
Near the end of the seventh century B.C., Athens faced political turmoil because of serious economic problems. Many Athenian farmers found themselves sold into slavery when they were unable to repay the loans they had borrowed from their aristocratic neighbors. Athens seemed on the verge of civil war. Hoping to avoid tyranny, the ruling Athenian aristocrats responded to this crisis by choosing Solon, a reform minded aristocrat, in 574 B.C. and giving him full power to make reforms. Solon canceled all land debts, and freed people who had fallen into slavery for debt. He refused, however, to carry out the redistribution of the land and hence failed to deal with the cause of the economic crisis. (Hughes Bettany)
Like his economic reforms, Solon's political measures were also a compromise. Wealth instead of birth now qualified people for holding political office, thus creating upward political mobility. Solon now divided all Athenian citizens into four classes on the basis of wealth. Only men in the first two classes could become members of the Areopagus. Men in the third class could be elected to a new council of four hundred called the boule, whose function was to prepare the agenda for the assembly. The fourth class, though not allowed to hold any political offices, could now vote in the assembly. Any male citizen could bring to the new court charges against any magistrate suspected of a crime. Government officials were now answerable to all citizens. Indeed, Solon's laws created the principle that Athens would be directed by citizens working together. (Spielvogel, Jackson J)
Solon's reforms did not solve Athens's problems. Aristocratic factions continued to vie for power, and the poorer peasants resented Solon's failure to institute land redistribution. Internal strive finally led to the very institution Solon had hoped to avoid. Pisistratus, and aristocrat and distant relative of Solon, seized power in 560 B.C. and made himself a tyrant. The assembly, councils, and court continued to function while he made sure that his supporters were elected as magistrates and council members. He curried favor with small farmers by offering land and loans to the needy. His ambitious building program, aimed at beautifying the city, also created jobs. Pisistratus' mild tyranny was popular while may Athenians, but the policies of his son Hippias produced a reaction, and the Athenians sent Hippias into exile and ended the tyranny. Although the aristocrats attempted to reestablish an aristocratic oligarchy, Cleisthenes, and aristocratic reformer, opposed this plans and, with the backing of the Athenian people, gained the upper hand in 508 B.C. The forms of Cleisthenes now established the basis for Athenian democracy. (Spielvogel, Jackson J)
A major aim of Cleisthenes' reforms was to waken the power of traditional localities and regions, which had provided the foundation for aristocratic strength. He made the demes, the villages and the townships of Attica, the basic units of political life. Cleisthenes enrolled all the citizens of the demes in ten new tribes, each of which contained inhabitants located in the country districts of Attica, the costal areas, and Athens. The ten tribes thus contained a cross section of the population and reflected all of Attica, a move that gave local areas a basic role in the political structure. Each of the ten tribes chose fifty members by lot each year for a new Council of Five Hundred, which was responsible for the administration of both foreign and financial affairs and prepared the business that would be handled by the assembly.
This assembly of all male citizens had final authority in the passing of laws after free and open debate; this Clesisthenes' reforms strengthened the central role of the assembly of citizens in the Athenian political system. The reforms of Cleisthenes laid the foundation for Athenian democracy. More changes would come in the fifth century when the Athenians themselves would begin to use the word democracy to describe their system. By 500 B.C., Athens was more united than it had been and was about to assume a more important role in Greek affairs. (Hughes Bettany)
Now that we know the history of Athenian democracy, it is time to learn about Socrates. Socrates, by occupation, was a stone mason. His true love was philosophy. He taught a number of pupils, but not for pay, because he believed that the goal for education was only to improve the individual. He made use of a teaching method that is still known by his name. The Socratic Method employs a question and answer technique to lead pupils to see things for themselves using their own reason, Socrates believed that all real knowledge is within each person; only critical examination was needed to call it forth. This was the real task of philosophy, since the unexamined life is not worth living. (Spielvogel, Jackson J)
Socrates' questioning of authority and public demonstrations of others' lack of knowledge led him into trouble. Athens had a tradition of free though and inquiry, but its defeat in the Peloponnesian War had created an environment of intolerant of open debate and soul searching. He was brought to court on charges against his teachings. The government found that Socrates was guilty of refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state, and of introducing new divinities. He is also guilty of corrupting the youth. The penalty demanded is death. He was given hemlock, which slows down the central nervous system, and ordered to walk around his jail cell until his body became numb and died. (Linder, Doug)
Socrates in this day and age wouldn't have been sentenced to death for his opinions, or criticized for his words. People now already complain about what people say in newspapers, TV, and politics. Not to say Socrates wouldn't be important or influential, but unless he started a whole new movement, he would just be another person on TV with a strong opinion and a few followers. Again it is not like Socrates wouldn't get his air time in this day and age, it is just to say, we have so many people on this planet with so many opinions that he wouldn't create a spark like he did in Athens.
Socrates was an influential figure in history, and would have been a brilliant mind in this day and age. Some of this century's greatest minds were at one time called crazy, or told that their message was corrupt. These people helped gain equality amongst a divided nation, brought peace to countries at war, and invented new and easy ways of doing things. People back in that time were shunned for thinking differently, or having an opinion that did not agree with the norm. It is these people who were the brilliance a city needed, and in our time, they are the future of the world.
