Essay: Argument Paper

As I am going to speak for a sailor which falls under the undetermined category in Athens, I am sure that we must avoid killing Socrates. I will try to explain why I voted against Socrates’ conviction. I know that the Radical Democrats do everything possible to accuse Socrates of provoking rebellion among the young people of Athens, among those who have good relation to the ideas of Socrates. They accuse him of disruption of our society because they are sure that Socrates dishonors the gods. It is wrong. I’m a sailor who has seen severe storms and deaths of many sailors. I know what is good and what is evil. Socrates is a military hero who took part in many battles and who is known for his bravery. As a sailor, I respect him and his ideas. Of course, he is not the wisest man in the world and he cannot know all about life, but some of his ideas are worth listening to. Socrates believes that “knowledge is virtue”. I agree with him. I also think that the more we knew about ourselves the better people we will be.

Moreover, it is known that Socrates is a famous man in our city but his ideas have always been taken as a nuisance. Although he criticized our government and proposed to choose an absolutely different form of government which should be ruled by the philosophers, we cannot take his words seriously. It is clear that Socrates and his followers have no army to match to the Agora.

Although Socrates tries to tell us in his speeches about the way we should live, but these speeches also cannot be taken seriously. He wants to find justice, reason and virtue but we cannot punish him for that. I cannot agree with the accusation that Socrates dishonors the gods. I am sure that he honors the gods as he wants to find more perfect view of the gods and we cannot punish him for that. Socrates discusses the gods as if they are perfect divine creatures.

It is necessary to take into consideration the fact that Socrates is an intelligent man who can do much for our city. As a sailor I can say that he can be the captain of our ship. He knows a lot and his knowledge can help those who rule our city today.

Moreover, it is known that every man who lives in Athens has his right to vote in the Assembly as well as to speak freely sharing his thoughts and ideas. It is clear that those who accuse Socrates contradict their own principles. He is a true citizen of Athens and he has his right to speak freely to the public. If we kill Socrates, there will be no democracy in the city because all the citizens will be afraid to express their opinions. I think that Socrates should be punished but it is necessary to find another form of punishment. I am against execution of Socrates. It is not the case. Socrates has a lot of followers. He is their teacher. They love and respect him. If we kill Socrates, his followers will lose their teacher, a person who taught them important things. I am a sailor and I am a proponent of democracy in our city, but I agree with Socrates ideas that it is necessary to make some changes in our society. We should defense this old man who knows too much and who is not afraid of punishment.