How did the writer David Horsburgh describe the life and death of Socrates?

Answer 1

Socrates became famous not as a military general, politician, poet or painter but as a hero of goodness. He was a seeker of truth and was poisoned by State for the same reason. His style was asking questions, making people answer them and then pointing out the error in the answers.

In the olden times, Athens was a city, full of interesting people and equally interesting Gods. The Gods Athene and Poseidon contested in producing the thing most useful to people. Poseidon produced a water fountain which by ill luck became salty. Athene produced the Olive Trees which like the Coconut Trees in Kerala gained all prosperity for Athens. Athene won and the city of Athens was named after her.

After schooling, at the age of eighteen, Socrates joined the compulsory army service. Each soldier took an oath to serve his country faithfully and well, and also promised to leave his country 'greater and better' than he received it. The word 'better' roused a discussion among the soldiers. Ariston said, it meant bigger. Socrates pointed out that a slim athlete was better than a fat merchant. Then Ariston said it meant 'being able to do as one pleases.' Socrates disagreed, saying 'in the battle field the coward can fight or run away, he can do as he pleases; but the brave can only fight'. The brave is indeed the better of the two. Thus 'better' does not mean 'being able to do as one pleases'. This was his method of making people understand truth.

After his military service, Socrates turned to teaching philosophy full- time. Plato has recorded most of his sayings. Truth is beautiful and enduring, the uncriticised life is not worth living. To him, philosophy was the study of studies. The noblest of all studies is the study of what man should be and what he should do. He held that the most important thing in human life is the spirit of enquiry. He said that this is a theme on which he was ready to fight, in word and deed, to the limit of his power. Considering all these scholarly contributions, it was no wonder to be said in the Delphi Oracle that 'no one was wiser' than Socrates.

Socrates' questioning style for finding truth made him an enemy of many and the authorities. He was trialled for seducing the young men of Athens, by a jury of 501 citizens. He made an unprepared defending speech in which he said that he had been preparing for that speech all his life. Even if let free he would continue his work. When found guilty, he said that he was a poor man preaching Truth and so, should be given free boarding and lodging in the Town Hall, at the expense of the State. It was evident that he had determined to die for his causes. He was decided to be poisoned to death. On the day of his death, he was bolder than ever. He said, questioning would continue through ages. It was time to go, for him to die and for others to live; but which of them went to a better thing was unknown to all but God. He drank the cup of poison and took his final class: the effect of poison on human body! That was the end of a friend- the noblest, the wisest and the most just.