More on Socrates

A working example of synergy is democracy and excellence, as they go hand in hand.  Athens was a great city that attracted bright thinkers from all over.  Visitors from all over the world shared their knowledge of astronomy, medicine, meteorology, literature, and philosophy.  The teaching that was taught in Athens often went at odds with traditional teachings.  An example is the sun while trying to learn new astronomical findings, they started to understand more and more about the sun, which would go against tradition that stated the gods put the sun in the sky and took it out each morning.  In class we also talked more about Socrates and his death which is where we left off yesterday.  Socrates was put on trial for two crimes.  Firstly he was accused of the corruption of Athens youth.  Secondly, he was charged with impiety (not believing in the gods of the state).  His defense on his trial was, "It's my job to be the gadfly on the sluggish horse that is Athens and I should be rewarded with this by being taken out to dinner."  There was 500 males who served on his trial the vote was 279-221.  He was sentenced to death by drinking poisonous hemlock.  He did have the option to escape but refused to as to prove his loyalty to the Athens democracy.  The definition of an idiot in Athen democracy-  Someone who was characterized by self-centeredness and is obsessed with themselves.  In athenian democracy idiots were born, and citizens were made through education.  Declining to take part in public life such as democratic government of the polis (city state) was considered dishonorable.  Also we practiced the Socrates method today through a debate format.