Socrates committing suicide after drinking the Hemlock

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Socrates committing suicide after drinking the hemlock
Socrates is described as a great classical Greek Athenian and a philosopher who had an independent mind (Wilson 126). He is credited with being a strong believer of morality and ethics citing that they are the key principles or drivers of social integration and success in the society. He inspired many people including students who include Plato through his classical writings and plays such as Aristophanes play. The exemplary works earned him recognition among scholars such as Eric Havelock and Walter, who described him categorically as a champion of communication, good governance, morality, and ethics. Socrates birthplace is known as Alopeke among the tribe of Antiochis where he grew up as a decent child developing noble character traits and moral values of life (Wilson 127). He always focused on various activities with the aim of transforming or making a difference in the society.
Key details about Socrates life, legal trial proceedings, and ultimate death sentence were issued by Plato and other people. Plato was his closest friend and student. Plato was instrumental in the establishment of various facts about Socrates ranging from his beliefs about religion, god, morality, his sentencing and acceptance to die among other things. Plato gave the chronology of events as they during the time of Socrates (Wilson 127). According to Plato, Socrates death is traced back from his beliefs that were critical to those of the Athenians.

He was always at odds with the Athenian leadership and the people politically, intellectually and morally. His beliefs in family settings and god were completely different to that of the Athenians. For example, he refused to recognize the gods that were fronted by the state. He also advocated for the pursuit of virtue and not wealth in contrary to the wishes of the majority including the government.
Socrates death
Socrates believed that he had a course for which he lived and that he had to accomplish it regardless of the resistance and frustrations he was receiving (Wilson 129). Due to his beliefs, he was accused of corrupting the youths in the region. Therefore, in 399 BC the philosopher was accused before the court of law where he was charged by refusing to recognize the gods of the land and corrupting the youths with his independent beliefs. The case was heard, and a penalty of death was preferred against Socrates for the violations. Every party in the case was accorded an opportunity to recommend the appropriate punishment for the philosopher. In particular, the accusers accepted the capital punishment while Socrates stated at first that he should be rewarded instead of being killed (Wilson 132). When pressed to declare the best penalty, he accepted death, a decision that turned out to a great injustice to the family, friends and himself. After that, he was taken to the nearby jail in Athens where he was to execute himself by drinking a cup of poison hemlock. The kind of punishment is provided or prescribed by the Athenian law.
It is the poison that Socrates drunk that killed him systematically from his toe, legs, waist and the heart. The suicidal death is what was prescribed and preferred as a punitive punishment to the man who had the independent mindset and loved by many people.
Injustice to the family
Socrates was coming from a humble family background that was made up of a father called Sophroniscus and a mother by the name Phaenaret. The father was a sculptor by profession while the mother was a renowned midwifery in the community. The parents found Socrates acceptance to die the greatest injustice done (Wilson 132). His death was an injustice to them because Socrates was a valued child to them and they viewed him as a pillar of success including a provider. His character and love for humanity made them love him so much and support him where necessary. They bonded with him well from his childhood to adulthood thereby inculcating good morals in him.
Socrates later married Xanthippe, a beautiful girl who is highly remembered for her temperament nature. Together, they had three children (sons) who became successful academically, morally and ethically. The wife and children loved him so much, and they could not imagine that his death would come soon. They were highly disappointed when Socrates accepted to die and termed it as a real injustice socially and otherwise (Putnam 44). The family registered deepest regrets and condolence for his death through poison. The parents asserted that the world conspired to rob them the most adorable and intelligent man who they loved just for what he believed was right. They faulted Socrates himself, the state and locals for being insensitive to true worship and morality.
Injustice by Friends
Socrates friends also got disturbed by his death just as the family and they deemed the death as a great injustice. The level of frustration made some to term his acceptance to die a huge disappointment to them. Youths in Athens were not happy with the unfolding events and they termed the death a huge loss to humanity and social justice. Socrates had many friends despite his controversial nature as depicted by the state and other citizens. As noted by Putnam (44), his friends were drawn from those who resonated with him by accepting his moral, ethical and spiritual beliefs. He also drew friends from those who liked the quality of his ideas and his style of doing things. He stood for social liberation, justice, worshipping of true God and morality in the society. The beliefs were all against the state and opinion leaders in Athens.
The friends were unhappy and viewed the death as an injustice as their mentor using various paradoxes that include “no one desires evil”, no one errs willingly”, virtue is knowledge” and sufficient virtue is happiness was no more. Such kind of information forms part of what instilled fear in the ruling class. They termed it corrupting the minds of the youths to go against them.
The friends followed the case that was launched against Socrates from the beginning to the end where they got disappointed. They stood by him and supported him morally and financially during the trial. They were against the killing of Socrates, and the least they thought is for the firm outspoken man to accept death. They knew that Socrates is an enigma who stands for his rights and truth and that he would not accept death at any given time. This came as a real frustration to them.
Injustice to himself
Socrates also did a real injustice to himself by accepting the preferred death. The first aspect of the injustice is that he lost his existence in the world. Death means no life and any planned activity may not get executed as apparent in his case. Similarly, his death was an injustice to himself as he had not attained self-actualization to transforming the society’s moral fabric (Putnam 45). His death also deprived him the opportunity to mentor young ones or the youths on the best ethical values and inculcate in them the spirit to pursue good virtues instead of wealth or material valuables. Additionally his death was an injustice as it denied him the opportunity to enjoy life and pursue his course for living to a logical conclusion.
ConclusionIndeed, Socrates committed suicide by drinking a poisonous substance cal
led hemlock. However, the suicide was not intentional as he was forced based on the facts about his death. He never wanted to die as preferred by the jurors who were hearing the case against him and other Athenians. This was evident when he told the jury that he should be rewarded instead of death for what he was doing. He stated that he was championing a noble course of restoring morality in the society terming those against him as wrong-headed morally. His bold character and firmness made his friends and family to feel that he betrayed them when he accepted to die. They felt that he committed a real injustice to everyone including himself.
Works Cited
Putnam, Constance. Hospice or hemlock?: searching for heroic compassion. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2002, Print.
Wilson, Emily. The death of Socrates. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2007, Print.