POLS 2310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Anytus, Meletus
Document Summary
Oracle story - represents questioning people for example: asking a physician why he provides certain treatment for a speci c disease. Artisans were best at explaining their reasoning, poets could do this less, and politicians were the worst at this. This was more the case the more respected the politician was. Socrates asks people to explain goals, why they think what they think is good. This is behavior that is challenging and belittling (questioning things that should not be questioned. ) Principle (core principle: not killing people, freedom, things accepted as truth) Question (why, demanding explanation) to raise that question is ridiculous and harmful destabilizes the community sometimes it is good for people not to question things. Socrates challenges things that are better left unchallenged. Does so in front of rich potential revolutionaries. Democracy reestablished in athens only 5 years before the trial. Anytus was important general in bringing back the democracy.
