Book Review: The Last Days of Socrates

One of the great issues in my mind about a general dearth of knowledge on and thoughts about philosophy is the fact that, on the whole, philosophy is presented in either isolated parts or large chunks of reading that manage to convey nothing of actual philosopher themselves.  Philosophers - at least the Ancient ones which I read - are best approached almost in a sort of "pop-star" approach.  

For example, if I had started reading Epictetus the Stoic Philosopher (A.D. c. 50 - 135) by starting with his Discourses instead of his much shorter and more pithy Enchiridion, I likely would have never been as taken with him as I am.  In the same vein, had I started with some other work of Lucius Annaeus Seneca ( 4 B.C. - A.D. 65) other than Letters from a Stoic, I would have never had the pleasure of coming to appreciate his works (nor would I have had a main character for The Collapse!).

Similarly, I would not have truly discovered Socrates had I not started with The Last Days of Socrates

(Author's photo of his edition - Apparently they issued a new cover.)

Socrates (c. 470 B.C. - 399 B.C.) is probably the best known of the Ancient Greek philosophers by name, even in our age.  A citizen of the Athenian Democracy, we actually do not know a great deal about him as he himself wrote nothing that is preserved.  What we do know is a short line of him from a play of the playwright Aristophanes (The Clouds) and what was written about him by two of his disciples, Plato and Xenophon, who themselves could not agree in their descriptions of him:  Xenophon tends to paint him in a light not nearly as interesting as that of Plato, who paints a picture of a man who is self-effacing, claims ignorance yet through his claims elucidates his opponent's beliefs and positions, is fearless in his criticism of all sides, and always claims to be seeking truth.

Plato presents Socrates through a series of dialogues, typically between Socrates and those who have brought him a question or whom somehow becomes engaged with.  In The Last Days of Socrates, we are given four of the dialogue, which represent the last part of Socrates' life when - in 399 B.C. - he was sentenced to die by a court in Athens for accusations of impiety.  Rather than try to escape, he accepted the laws of Athens and the judgment of the court and voluntarily consumed hemlock as his sentence.

The four dialogues - Euthryphro, The Apology, Crito, Phaedo - deal with Socrates' last days and are linked through his trial and impending death. In Euthryphro, he deals with the nature of impiety, something that will become relevant in his defense before the court in The Apology  In Crito, he walks through with an old friend why he feels himself bound by the laws to remain and accept the sentence of the court rather than escape.  And in Phaedo, we walk through Socrates' facing of death and his belief in the afterlife and the implementation of the sentence of death.

At 180 pages (plus notes), the book is a short, solid, and reasonable introduction to Plato and Socrates.  Some quotes from the various dialogues:

"The truth of the matter is this, gentlemen,.  Where a man has once taken his stand, either because it seems best to him or in obedience to his orders, there I believe he is bound to remain and face the danger, taking no account of death or anything else before dishonor." - The Apology

"No man on earth who conscientiously opposes either you or any other organized democracy, and flatly prevents a great many wrongs and illegalities from taking place in the state to which he belongs, can possibly escape with his life.  The true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics behind." - The Apology

"Well, really Crito, it would hardly be suitable for a man of my age to resent having to die." - Crito

"I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good; which would be a splendid thing, if it were so.  Actually, they have neither.  They cannot make a man wise or stupid; they simply act at random." - Crito

"In that case, my dear fellow, what we ought to consider is not so much what people in general will say about us but how we stand with the expert in right and wrong, the one authority, who represents actual truth."  - Crito

"No, you must keep up your spirits and say that it is only my body you are burying; and you can bury it as you please, in whatever way you think proper. - Phaedo

If you are looking to find an introduction to Greek Philosophy or a simply meet a fascinating individual (whether he is as he was or partly imagined), I cannot imagine a better volume to start with.