Pur rendendomi conto che potrei tedìarvi con la mia piccola crociata per la giustizia, intesa non come un'astratta entità di cui riempirsi la bocca ma un vero e proprio modus vivendi , proseguo imperterrito lungo questa direzione. Ed una naturale tappa d'approdo per questa mia ricerca non poteva che essere la figura di Socrate: un uomo che ha accettato un'ingiusta morte per la sua fiducia justice on earth and after death. The text to which we refer is of course the 'Apology "written by Plato, the most famous and faithful follower of Socrates.
But to understand fully the radical nature of the behavior of Socrates is first necessary to contextualize the events we are in January of 399 BC in Athens. Socrates is brought to court by apple trees, Anita and Liconi, respectively, poet, politician and orator who had been ridiculed by Socrates for their vanity and the rampant corruption of their morals. The reasons for Rejecters were very general and specious: Socrates was accused of "suspect in a spirit of wicked things in heaven and earth to corrupt young people and not to believe in the gods to which he believed the city, but in new demonic deity.
But the real reason why Socrates was accused and convicted, were to be found in the nascent democracy of Athens (daughter of a ruling class already then in the grip of corruption and malfeasance), who needed to get rid of an individual for his dialectic and oratorical ability and his way of life based on justice, righteousness on poverty and was a threat because he could sommuovere Athenian popular opinion. But the invitation to my drivel, let it be Socrates himself to speak and teach us what is justice, because he has accepted his and death sentence because a just man should not fear it (as always, additions and comments are put in brackets).
- The Defence of Socrates -
"If someone told me: - But are not you ashamed, Socrates, of Essert given a job for which time did you put at risk of dying? - So I would say a good right: - You're wrong, my friend, if you value a man of some value must take into account the life and death. He is in his actions only to consider whether what he does is right or wrong and if it acts as an honest man or evil. According to your reasoning, would be to estimate those little demigods and all the others who died before Troy. [...] And now that God has given me un posto di combattimento, così almeno io credo di dovere interpretare il suo volere, posto di combattimento che è quello di vivere filosofando [il "vivere filosofando" è il vivere secondo una disciplina che fa della filosofia non la ricerca di un sapere astratto, ma una pratica morale che è armonia di pensiero e di azione], esaminando me e gli altri, sarebbe veramente cosa grave se io, per paura della morte o d'altro, disertassi il campo [Socrate ha un senso profondamente religioso della vita, che gli faceva riguardare la personalità di ciascuno come inserita in fini etici superiori dell'umanità e la vita tutta come dovere, al quale non è lecito sottrarsi. Per questo non mirava a sovvertire le leggi o lo Stato, bensì to urge his countrymen not to take care of wealth rather than the soul and virtue]. [...] Since
, or Athenians, the fear of death is nothing more than to be wise without being one, that is to say, believe they know what it is not known, because no one knows whether death, as if afraid that the man already know that the greatest of all evils, rather than being for the greatest good. It is not the most reprehensible ignorance that is the belief of knowing what you do not know? [...] But one thing I know for certain: that doing an injustice and disobey our superior, whether God or man, is evil and shameful. So I never will fear nor flee what we do not know if it's good, but rather the evil that I know that. "
- Socrates was condemned to death -
" Maybe you think, or the Athenians, who have been convicted of no such talks with such disabilities which I could persuade you if I believed that you had to say and do anything to escape condemnation. Not at all! What I failed were not the arguments, but the boldness and audacity and the will not to say things that would have been very pleasant to hear, crying and complaining and doing other things unworthy of me, but to which others had used it. I do not regret that I defended well, and indeed prefer myself so much more readily defended, and die to defend it in that way, and live.
[...] But consider well, O Athenians, that is hard not to avoid death but rather to avoid the evil that comes to us faster than the death [is easier to avoid the death that evil, as weak and vile is man's soul before the instincts and worldly passions, the source of conflicts and wars]. And now I, as late and old, have been achieved by what is later, my accusers, however, as more vigorous and fast, faster than it is, evil. And now I go from here condemned you to die, instead they condemned by truth to be evil and unjust [it is said that the accusers of Socrates have died a violent death. It was rooted in the Greek belief that the evil in this life requires a repair that can be extended to the descendants of those who committed evil]. I accept my punishment, they theirs. He must be so, and I think it is good.
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