The Trial and Death of Socrates, by Plato - Book Report/Review Example

The Trial and Death of Socrates History has it that philosophy is d back to time immemorial. Philosophy is an all-time old discipline that accounts for many great leaders that have followed philosophy from thousands of years ago. Of the many famous philosophers is Socrates. While his contribution to philosophy among other disciplines remains fresh and vibrant in the minds of many, his trial and subsequent death remains at the top of that. Socrates was an Athenian philosopher who taught different people about different concepts of philosophy among other disciplines.

His trial took place in Athens in the year 399 BC, and was followed by his execution the same year (Plato 7).Socrates’s interaction with the youth saw him accused of corrupting their minds. This ambiguous charge was followed by a trial, encompassing disrespect to the Greek gods and creation of deities that was nonexistent there before.His conviction followed a voting practice that involved a jury of 500 Athenians (Plato 13). The jury was charged with the responsibility of critically looking into the charges and making a ruling as whether Socrates was guilty or nor.

The trial was complemented by a jury vote to declare Socrates innocent or guilty. The jury voted for conviction, but had not decided on the punishment yet.Socrates’s punishment was to be arrived at after another voting exercise. After the voting exercise, the jury made a decision to have Socrates executed. The sentence to death was undertaken, and Socrates was made to drink a hemlock-based liquid (Plato 18). Plato was a close associate of Socrates’s disciplines and a friend. The accounts of the trial and the subsequent death of this philosopher were closely followed through him and Xenophon, the only two people who are regarded as primary sources to what befell Socrates.

Plato’s text makes an account of Socrates’s trial and execution, highlighting Socrates’s feeling about the essentiality of self-knowledge and need for deities. Athenian religion is outlined as a critical concept that Plato was concerned about in his text. Socrates failed to acknowledge the gods that Athens acknowledged. This did not go down well with the Athens’s authorities, thus his trial for that alongside corrupting the youth. Plato shared the same sentiments, and more especially seemed to uphold Socrates’s doctrines.

Plato expresses his adamant feelingsthat Athenian religion was primitive and delusional. Plato (19) quotes, “If you had no clear knowledge of piety and impiety you would never have ventured to prosecute your old father for murder on behalf of a servant”. This expression denotes the feeling that Athenian religion must have undertaken practices that vague and bound to not facts. In other words, Plato considers Athenian religion as one that is misguided, and one that is statically serves the interests of just a few people who accuse others of introducing deities, while they actually force people to follow them blindly.

Plato also notes that whatever is presented on the accounts of Socrates is not difficult to grasp (Cooper 14). However, he feels that the Athenian religion was the complete opposite; marred by practices of complicating every simple detail.Works CitedCooper, Madison. The Trial and Death of Socrates: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Death SceneFrom Phaedo. New York: Hackett, 2000.Plato. The Trial and Death of Socrates: by Plato. New York: CreateSpace, 2010.