FYS 1197 - Why Was Socrates Tried

Credits: 4.0
This course will try to solve one of the great riddles of ancient history. Socrates was the first great philosopher, a wise man who engaged his fellow citizens in conversations about truth, justice and politics. Athens was the epitome of all that we admire about classical Greece-an open society that valued democracy, individual freedom, and reason. Yet in 399 BCE Socrates was tried, convicted and put to death by a jury of his peers. Why? We will examine Socrates against the culture of classical Athens-its poetry, politics, and religion-in hope of an explanation. Our materials will include the dialogues of
Plato; the rhetoric of the sophists and orators; historical and political texts; Athenian tragedy and comedy. We will try to understand what really happened and why the sources are so inconsistent. We will look at modern attempts to explain the trial of Socrates. The course will culminate in a “retrial’ of Socrates before a jury of students and faculty.
Offered: Fall only, on demand