As he stepped inside the inquisition hall, Socrates scanned the jury in the Athenian court with a certain degree of amusement. Much like Jesus’s prayer from the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’ Socrates was aware of the folly the jury was committing. He perhaps even felt pity for their ignorance. The trial itself was a charade, stemming as it did from minds that were yet to taste wisdom. The charges against Socrates made the Athenian administration’s inadequate knowledge evident. He was charged with impiety against the pantheon of Athens and corrupting the youth. In other words, his refusal to toe the line and encouraging the youth to probe before accepting anything were the bones of contention.
Socrates sat unfazed throughout the trial, despite knowing that the entire exercise was futile since the verdict was already decided. The jury had no idea of the levels Socrates had reached, let alone understood his words. The accusations were further cemented with trite remarks. Socrates hoped the farce would conclude soon. Pronouncing him guilty, the jury gave Socrates two options as punishment: exile or death. Even among those who opposed Socrates, a few found the verdict exceedingly severe.
However, Socrates wasn’t aggravated. He knew his choice. Exile meant preventing Socrates from using his method of argumentative analysis to unearth truth. Socrates refused to lead a life of servitude and follow diktats. He felt that it was like depriving someone of the impetus for existence and turning him into a beast rather than letting him be a human. There was no way he could choose that, as he proclaimed, ‘An unexamined life is not worth living.’ As everyone waited with bated breath, Socrates didn’t bat an eyelid as he chose the option of drinking hemlock and dying.
We might never undergo the drastic circumstances Socrates endured. However, we must follow his words throughout our lives. We must understand that wisdom lies in probing, either by getting deep within through a meditative process or with profound debates that propel the mind to inquire pointedly. May we not stoop to becoming beasts and justify our human existence by forever following these wise words. And, as we do the regular audit of our financial accounts before taxation, let’s constantly keep auditing our lives.
