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Remembering Socrates: An Interview with Plato

The great philosopher Socrates was executed 40 years ago this month. In honor of his life, and to reflect on his tragic death, The Academy Journal interviewed our own master, Plato, who came to know Socrates when he was a young man living in Athens. Socrates greatly influenced Plato's life and ideas.

Socrates was brought to trial and eventually executed for not believing in the gods the state believes in, for introducing new divine powers, and for corrupting the young. Though he and most of his followers did not think these charges were just, Socrates chose to accept his death sentence rather than try to escape from prison or admit wrongdoing. He was not afraid of death and willingly drank the poison hemlock that killed him.

Xenocrates: First of all, let me thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule at the Academy to do this interview about Socrates.

Plato: It is my pleasure, Xenocrates. I still feel sadness when I think of his death. He was a great friend.

Xenocrates: Tell me about your first encounter with Socrates.

Plato: When I was a young man living in Athens, I often saw Socrates discussing philosophical problems with people around the city. He was a funny looking man -- plump, with a snub nose -- and he wandered from place to place wearing only a raggedy woolen cloth for clothing. He didn't even wear shoes! Though many thought he was a nuisance, as he was always pestering people with questions, he aroused my curiosity. For awhile I observed him at a distance, but one day I saw him talking with a few other young men and decided to join their discussion.

Xenocrates: What was the discussion about?

Plato: They were talking about justice. When I approached, Socrates turned to me and asked, "What is justice?" I was confident that I knew the answer to this simple question and gave him my answer. After all, my uncle Charmides and cousin Critias had been prominent leaders in Athens, and I thought that I knew something about justice. However, Socrates didn't accept my response. He proceeded to ask me more questions and exposed all of the weaknesses in my initial answer. I was humbled and embarrassed, but he made me realize my ignorance. I wanted to learn more from him.

Xenocrates: It has been said that Socrates received an oracle from the god at Delphi. Is this true? I have never been able to get the full story.

Plato: In fact, it was Chaerephon, a friend of Socrates, who received the oracle. The god told Chaerephon that Socrates was the wisest man. When Socrates heard this, he was amazed, for he knew that he had no wisdom, small or great. He therefore set out to prove the god wrong by talking to reputable Athenian citizens. What he found was that many prominent people thought they knew a lot, whereas they really knew nothing. Socrates was wiser than them only because, as he said, "I neither know, nor think that I know."

 

To read more of the interview with Plato, go to Socrates' Trial and Execution.