In the turbulent polytheistic society of Athens, no one action could please all of the gods, but more importantly, Socrates would advocate that it is ludicrous to act in a mechanical way merely to please beings which are at constant war with each other. Ultimately, Socrates is more preoccupied with addressing societal problems stemming from widespread indoctrination by religion rather than acts of piousness directed at particular deities.
Plato describes his teacher as a man who sought social justice. While Socrates lived in a society ignorant of the difference between was is ethical and morally reprehensible, Athens could be a metaphor for modern day society. Millions of individuals allow officials to make decisions which effect global welfare under the guise of morality without even questioning the legality of their actions. Even more are frightened to challenge normalcy due to fear of a societal backlash, as history has proven that revolutionaries quickly become martyrs for their cause. Socrates believes such anxiety concerning what others will think is not only foolish, but inherently dangerous to the prosperity of any nation-state, "We should not then think so much of what the majority will say about us, but what he will say who understands justice and injustice, the one, that is, and the truth itself. So that, in the first place, you were wrong to believe that we should care for the opinion of the many about what is just, beautiful, good, and their opposites" (50). As Daniel Kolak describes in his book Lovers of Wisdom, neither the masses or a high ranking individual can be absolutely sure of anything, "So in effect the point here is that even those recognized experts whose thoughts and actions are of the highest caliber cannot ultimately know with absolute certainty that they are right" (Kolak, 87). Ultimately, the answer is to humble oneself, and state what Socrates did two thousand, four hundred years ago, "I do not think I know what I do not know" (27).