The Trial of Socrates

In the Apology and Crito Plato attempts to present the character of Socrates as the ideal citizen. As the narratives unfold we realize that Socrates' fate was to be thrust into a trial for nothing other than his spiritual superiority, piety to Athens, moral excellence, and love for his fellow Athenians. During the trial Socrates accepts the tragedy, responsibility, and role he must necessarily play. His integrity dooms him, projecting him forward. By contrast, the farce of the trial, cruelty of the sentence, and ultimate impotence in corrupting our hero unveils the petty character of both his formal accusers and general critics, reversing the condemnation for sacrificing Athens' most pious and loyal citizen.

But who is he? Plato's utter contempt bleeds through for Athens' values and people; conflating Socrates' legitimate critiques w/ bs. To some the gadfly bears more of a metaphorical resemblance to an ass. Socrates' resolved smugness hardly substitutes for objective contributions, and his flippant considerations of responsibilities call into question for us his purported virtues. What we're left with is nothing more than an arrogant protagonist who considers himself above any of the "pettiness" which infects his beloved city, failing to allow a truly dialogical response from even the community of his supporters.

Whoever Socrates might really have been, Plato's characterization tarnishes his legacy as a champion for intellectual excellence. Although, it should be stated that the glimpses we see from other sources might leave us scratching our heads at Plato's favorable, idealized portrayal. Was Socrates unjustly punished? Yes. Does he make his case for himself? Well... maybe not, I don't think so at least. Eventually, I'm gonna argue his relational impact and susceptibility postmortem to Plato's exploitation are his true enduring contributions to Athens and the world and posterity.