Socrates, Defender of Democracy
Socrates, Defender of Democracy by Ben Bussewitz Socrates lived through the golden age of Athens, the deterioration of the city-state into a 25 year war with Sparta, the rise of an oligarchic regime, and the ultimate restoration of the Athenian democracy. At the age of 70 he was executed by the state for supposedly corrupting the youth and insulting the Hellenistic pantheon of gods. The reason for the latter could be that Socrates subtlety purported to be a monotheist. He sometimes could be heard referring to the one true God who rules over heaven and earth. For instance, in Plato’s depiction of Socrates is the dialogue entitled Euthyphro , Socrates, while discussing holiness, states, “I mean to say that the holy has been acknowledged by us to be loved by God because it is holy, not to be holy because it is loved.” This passage illustrates that Socrates looked at the world as though there was only one true God reigning over, which conflicted with the Greek polytheistic vision. And sim