Socrates, a Defender of Democracy

Socrates, a Defender of Democracy

Socrates lived through the golden age of Athens, the deterioration 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 insulating the Hellenic pantheon of gods. It can be expected by a democracy to find offense to the thoughtfulness of questioning basic truths, as democracies function according to group dynamics, and the more individuals are questioning themselves, social structure, social norms, wide and cutting principles, the less likely they are to immediately get along with authority unless they patiently corporate, like Socrates always did. It defends democracy to question, as it is by questioning, individuals expose truth, and the Greek people followed two traditions of a democracy: paeidia and parresia, an upstanding, morally grounded citizenry, and bold, courageous speech that gets to the heart of the matter and burrows under, even while staring in the face of mendacious political institutions. Socrates was essentially accused of being a monotheist by the state, not submitting to the Hellenistic vision of a polytheistic pantheon.

by Ben Bussewitz D.D., M.D.