Introduction to "Death of a Gadfly: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the Trial and Execution of Socrates"

Abstract

In 399 bc, Socrates was condemned to death by a jury consisting of 500 (or 501) Athenian citizens; the official charge was “impiety” or, more specifically, not recognizing the gods of the city, inventing new divinities, and corrupting the youth. As reported in a moving death scene in Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates died in prison one month after his conviction as a result of drinking hemlock, despite having had ample opportunity to escape and hence avoid death. Since then, Socrates has become one of the most influential figures in the Western world; it is perhaps no exaggeration to compare the magnetism he has exerted on us to that of Jesus, Buddha, or Muhammad. Many questions persist today concerning the circumstances surrounding Socrates’ trial and execution, as well as his life and the substance of his philo­ sophical views. How and why was Socrates brought to trial? Why did the Athenian jurors, who were after all members of the world’s first democracy, find him guilty? Were the official charges against Socrates in fact trumped up? Was the real motivation behind his conviction political? Why did Socrates refuse to accept the opportunity to escape execution and instead submit to a verdict that both he and his friends thought unjust? Would we not expect Socrates, of all people, to refuse to carry out a legal injunction that he considered immoral? At a time when the continued importance of the humanities within the academy is constantly under attack, it is especially crucial to convey to those working outside of our own specialties that engagement with a momentous historical event—even one that took place in ancient Athens over 2000 years ago—can nevertheless have an immeasurable impact on how we interpret and react to urgent challenges facing citizens of democratic societies today. The enigmatic and controversial figure of Socrates provides the perfect foil against which we can evaluate how individuals who are perceived as