The Death of Socrates and America?

American Thinker.com ^ | March 13, 2021 | Paul Krause

[Kaslin]

Plato never forgave the tyrants of Athens for putting Socrates to death. Socrates’s death was a watershed moment in Athenian history. In many ways, it marked the end of the Athenian golden age as the sun set over Athens as her imperial ambitions vanished in the Peloponnesian War and the Thirty Tyrants would be installed by Sparta with support from the Athenian ruling class. The charges were concocted: he was “corrupting the youth of Athens.” In other words, he didn’t adhere to the propagated ideology of the newly tyrannical Athenian state. Socrates’s questioning of the Athenian tyrants marked him as a dangerous enemy that needed to be silenced, cancelled, forever.

Two realities flow concurrent to politics throughout history. Art and intellectuality are companions to politics in history. In eras when peoples and society flourish, their art and intellectual enterprises flourish. The golden age of Athens is marked by the explosion of art, poetry, and birth of philosophy. The slid into despotism and irrelevance is marked by the death of Socrates and the suppression of the poets. One can see this played out time and again: Renaissance Italy, Jacobean England, and early nineteenth century America and its revival after the Civil War, especially in the early twentieth century.

It is commonplace to hear how the Constitution made America great. More specifically, it should be said the Bill of Rights made America great—especially the First Amendment. Unlike other countries, America’s cherished commitment to free speech and freedom of religion helped foster a spirit of intellectual humanism and curiosity that stimulated cultural vibrancy and vitality without the expressed fear of suppression or arrest.

[Yo-Yo]

I remember the last words pf Socrates when he said: “I drank what?”

[Diogenesis]

the death of Socrates was when this corrupt system
killed the best, the smartest, to begin the road
to ULTRACORRUPT, STUPID, TREASON, DOCILE, LYING
politicians —— ending with Clinton, Obama, Biden.

Liars all. Depraved all.

ALL BECAUSE “WE” MURDERED SOCRATES.

[C210N]

Socrates and Plato are very relevant to today's society.

[BenLurkin]

Socrates was a jerk.

[KarlInOhio]

In other words, he didn't adhere to the propagated ideology of the newly tyrannical Athenian state. Socrates's questioning of the Athenian tyrants marked him as a dangerous enemy that needed to be silenced, cancelled, forever.

Huh? Socrates was tried and executed after the Thirty Tyrants had been overthrown and democracy returned. Many had the opinion that Socrates was tried and executed because he supported, or at least remained in Athens and failed to oppose, the Thirty Tyrants when they were installed by Sparta to rule Athens. The non-specific terms of the accusation against Socrates was seen as a way to get around the amnesty granted to Athenians who supported the Thirty.

[Sans-Culotte]

Great graphic.

[Vaduz]

America’s cherished commitment to free speech and freedom of religion helped foster a spirit of intellectual humanism.

Amen