It has long been believed by some that the reason for Socrates’ unpopularity was that he was a supporter of the Celtic Football Club. However, in reading The Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato, I came across no mention of this and I had to abandon what I had long regarded to the gospel truth. Furthermore, one does not have to read very far into the Apology to find that it is no more than a misunderstanding of Socrates, and that the popular belief that he is an arrogant man is the cause for his unpopularity.

The Apology opens with Socrates addressing his fellow Athenians in court. He begins by uttering a lot of nonsense, not unlike a Tennessee gas pump attendant whom you have asked for directions. Eventually he gives us a hint as to why it is he is on trial and the reason for his unpopularity when he says, “For I have many accusers…telling of one Socrates, a wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into the earth beneath, and make the worse appear the better cause.” (20) While this does give us some insight, i

So off he went in his 64 VW bus in search of all that had a reputation of being wise. He talked with Politicians, Poets, and Artisans and in each case could not find someone wiser than himself. Of a Politician he said, “When I began to talk with him, I could not help thinking that he was not really wise, although he was thought wise by many, and wiser still by himself; and I went and tried to explain to him that he thought himself wise, but was not really wise; and the consequence was that he hated me, and his enmity was shared by several who were present and heard me.”(23) Having similar encounters with Poets, and Artisans it did not take long before Socrates developed the reputation of being a bigheaded, egotistical snob. (Kind of like an Ivy League graduate of today.) While this may be the reputation that he developed along the way, it was not his intention, “…I am called wise, for my hearers always imagine that I myself possess the wisdom which I find wanting in others: but the truth is…that God only is wise…that the wisdom of men is little or nothing…he is only using my name as an illustration…so I go my way obedient to god,

Some topics in this essay:
Ivy League, Apology Socrates, Carol Marol, Oracle Delphi, Poets Artisans, Socrates Plato, Unpopularity Socrates, Artisans Socrates, Football Club, wise wise, developed reputation, socrates addressing, poets artisans,