How Did Socrates Corrupt Youth

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In his defense, I can understand why Socrates is viewed as the founding father of Western philosophy and being the noblest Greek philosopher. In his trial, he is accused of corrupting the youth, but it was in his nature to question everything and everyone. His style of teaching, which would become known as the Socratic Method, involves not conveying knowledge but rather questioning it until reaching a conclusion. He doesn’t reveal any opinions of his own as he helps his students dissect their own thoughts and fill up holes in their theories. To define “corrupting the youth” in ancient Athens at that time Socrates lived, it was to make the young adults question the way their society is operated. This makes the elders wary. However, instead of corrupting them, I think Socrates was enlightening them to think critically for themselves. …show more content…
He taught his students to think on their own, and in our eyes currently, it’s good that everyone has a right to their opinion. Socrates’ passions for explanations inspired the development of formal logic and systematic ethics we used today. In the perspective of the Athenians living at the time, they couldn’t disagree any more. Once the youth learns to have their own mind and question everything, they will question the elders’ authority. I find it ironic because these Athenians—able-bodied native men—are part of a direct democracy, which gives them a voice openly in assemblies, but they won’t allow anyone else to have a