Socrates, "Defense: Interpretation" / He Yongqi

[Interpretation • He Yongqi]

(Second Half – Court Session)

Here I find a problem, Socrates not only loved truth, but also loved wisdom, and his linguistic genius was also extremely high. Now, I'm going to add a name to him, and he's very curious!

Socrates was a master of philosophy, but also a master of linguistic skills.

When his knowledge matures, no one can surpass him! Here we also find that he is a lonely man.

So where did Socrates' learning come from?

I think much of Socrates' wisdom comes from his reflections on knowledge. Knowledge also has dross, and after refining, knowledge will be refined into wisdom. In this way, Socrates is a contrarian thinker.

The height of thought determines the height of success, and Socrates is a "man" who pursues truth.

And for that, he paid the price for the truth!

Here's the question: Truth, does it matter?

Is the truth worth everything you have to pay for it??

Socrates said: The purpose of my life is to think, and the pursuit of truth is the goal of my life.

According to the definition of philosophy, it is sophia (love of wisdom, love of truth), which is the meaning of "philosophy", and he who loves to think and reflect is a wise man. Is the truth important???

This embodies "what do you value", the meaning of your life...... What is it??

Now, to comment on the statement of Socrates above, he says: "I find that those who are considered the wisest are in fact the most foolish, and that those who are not well-known and obscure are wiser than them."

The point here is that wisdom is not to be flaunted. Wisdom is to help you find the truth, not to be clever. It should also be pointed out that Socrates' method of seeking advice is this "scandal-exposing" process of seeking knowledge, which will offend many people!

Socrates said, "I am not the wisest man in Athens," although they say "Socrates is the wisest man in Athens";

Socrates goes on to say, "To prove that I am not the smartest man in Athens, I think, "If there is a man in Athens who can refute me, then prove that Socrates is not the smartest man."

Thus, Socrates' journey of "seeking advice"... He doesn't get tired of it, because it's a "process of proof." Proof of what??—— proves that Socrates was not the wisest man in Athens.

But...... After Socrates' "consultation", he had an answer, saying that "those who are usually considered to be the wisest, after my debate, I find that they are not wiser than I am".

Socrates was proving an "argument" that "I am not the wisest man in Athens", and in order to prove this, Socrates constantly went to Athens "to ask questions about the wisest men", and Socrates consulted these people. As a result, the arguments went back and forth, and it was Socrates who won the arguments. These people, who were refuted by Socrates, began to hold a grudge against Socrates......

Note: This is the conclusion that Socrates came to after "counseling". This is also a reflection of the height of his mind and wisdom! This is the result of the condensation of Socrates' knowledge.

First of all, Socrates was very intellectually curious, and he had a concept of this strength: for example, Mr. A saw a book and wanted to keep it for himself, but others did not give it to him. What will happen to Mr. A's emotional fluctuations at this time? He eats like chewing wax, tossing and turning and can't sleep, like he has lost his soul. If he couldn't get that book, Mr. A would have felt that life would be boring. This... That is, Socrates' desire for truth.

(Philosophy - Sophia, which translates as: love of wisdom, love of truth)

Socrates was a great philosopher, isn't philosophy the love of wisdom? He began to think about life, where did man come from?—— what is the meaning of life??—— where do he go after death?—— what is the soul??—— you see, Socrates began to think about this question.

It can be said that he struggled with his brains and struggled to figure it out, and it took Socrates a long time to figure it out. These questions bothered him for a long time, and Socrates discussed them with his friends during his time in detention before his death.

Socrates was imprisoned for a period before his execution, and during his detention he had discussions with friends, which were recorded in his student Plato's Phaedo.

Plato's Phaedo, written after Socrates was executed, and the Pleadings, in which Socrates defended himself in court. Plato was also present at the trial, but he did not speak.

(Socrates at court, the last mention of Plato's name)

These questions, like Socrates' thinking, are all about faith and life, and they are also important to Socrates. For example: where do people come from, what is the meaning of life, why do people live, what is the soul?

These are the questions that Socrates thinks about, and he values them. If he didn't think through the question, Socrates would have lived in vain! In the end he didn't find the answer, but he chose to "believe."

At the end of the trial, Socrates said to the Athenians: "I die, you live?——! God knows.

These questions bothered Socrates for a long time!

The above questions were not given to Socrates, but Socrates' knowledge that prompted him to think through them. Otherwise, he would have died of depression. The spirit of philosophy is to keep studying, to keep thinking, until this question is clear. Otherwise, he will keep thinking until he finds the answer.

This is all determined by the philosopher's ideology, and in the philosopher there is an indescribable obsession. This "persistence" prompts them to explain the problems they encounter clearly! Otherwise, they will have a sense of loss.

Doubts do not have much effect on ordinary people, but they are fatal to philosophers. If he doesn't solve this mystery, he will always have a sense of loss, which will linger.

Unexplained phenomena and mysteries are the favorite of philosophers, and if there are no difficult problems worth thinking about?—— then philosophers lose the meaning of life.

"I think, therefore I am", this is a kind of attachment to the truth. Socrates said, "If there is no object worthy of my contemplation, then my life will pass away......

Systematic rational logical thinking is used to solve difficult problems, and if you don't use wisdom, it will also degenerate.

For example, in order to prove that he was not the smartest man in Athens, he said: "All I have to do is find a man in Athens who can answer a question that I cannot answer, and that is enough to prove that Socrates is not the wisest man." Attention! Socrates not only thinks so, he verifies it.

Note: Socrates is the representative of ancient Greek philosophy, and Western philosophy is based on ancient Greek philosophy, and they have a common "string", that is, the main line of "rational and logical thinking".

Socrates' rational and logical thinking is constantly being tested. His theories (ideas) are combined with experimental tests. Testing, which is used to prove whether a theory can be established, is "science" after 2,000 years.

Note: Socrates' philosophical system of thought is based on the "combination of theory and test", and this set of ideas is very advanced, because he uses "experiments" to establish the correctness of theories.

For example, the Athenians said, "Socrates was the wisest," but Socrates said, "I am not the wisest in Athens." How can I dismiss the Athenians' point of view at this time??—— Socrates said: I only need to find a man in Athens who can answer the questions I can't answer, so that I Socrates is not the wisest man.

That is to say, there is a question that Socrates has no answer to and cannot answer, and I take this question to the man who was considered the wisest in Athens, and if he can answer it, it proves that "Socrates is not the wisest man." Seeing that he didn't ??—— Socrates, he used the experiment of "asking for advice" to prove his point. What to prove??—— "Socrates is not the smartest man".

Note: I can't answer a question, you answer. This proves that you are smarter than me.

Socrates' "teach-in" experiment, which was used to prove his point, was also against the Athenians.

Summary: Socratic visit-style consultation, which has the property of validation. For example, he often went to the gates of the city to ask questions from the wise men of Athens, and the answers of the wise men did not satisfy Socrates.

Strictly speaking, the wise men knew no more than Socrates.

There are many more examples of such a "Socratic way of soliciting teaching"! Socrates did this all his life. A theoretical point of view must be proved experimentally, otherwise the theory will not be true! Because your point of view cannot be proved by testing.

Note: Socrates also taught this style of teaching to his followers (students); note: Socrates' thinking is "rational", and after he thinks, he will also test these ideas, which means that theory and practice are one.

Socrates is the founder of "rational logical thinking", and his philosophical contributions have two main directions;

First, it emphasizes "rational" logical thinking, and second, it uses "experiments" to prove whether "theories" are valid.

Theory and experiment, in Socrates, are combined. Socrates' philosophical system of thought is not detached from "reality" because it is "tested" and tested. Theoretical arguments, which are not proved by experimental tests, are not convincing.

Note: Experiments are used to test the correctness of theories, theories, opinions, if they are separated from the proof of experimental testing, the theory is not convincing and should be overturned. This is Socrates' contribution to philosophy, the use of experiments to test theories, and a theory must be tested by experiments before it can be established. Otherwise, the theory is a "hypothesis".

After the theory is tested by experiments, it becomes the "truth", because "it" can work and bring greater production efficiency, which promotes social development.

Theory and experiment are inseparable, and in Socrates' consciousness, the two are one.

In this way, we get another answer: Socrates was not utopian, he regarded verification as important as thought.

He has figured it out, it's not over yet, and he has to verify it step by step. In doing so, the correctness of the thinking results is ensured.

In short, philosophy is based on "reason", and it emphasizes experimentation (testing). In Socrates' time, philosophy encompassed today's science (experiments, tests).

Nowadays, the knowledge is getting narrower and narrower! Narrow is for the sake of refinement! Although the profession is going up, the way of thinking is limited.

How can we clearly understand Socrates' philosophical paradigm? Let's sort out his knowledge again; Socrates' philosophical thought contains two aspects: the first is the way of thinking (rational thinking), and the second is the test. These are two important subjects in Socrates' system of thought.

Note: It is also necessary to note here that philosophical thinking comes first, which is the foundation, and if you can't explain it in thinking, there is no way to talk about testing.

Therefore, theory is more important than experimentation! Without the establishment of theory, experiments cannot be carried out, and then society cannot move forward.

If there is no theory??—— without the establishment of theory, the experiment will be like a blind man touching the elephant, and there is no way to start. Theory comes first, test comes last; without the leadership of theory, experiments cannot lead.

It is not the "experiment" that guides the direction, but the direction of the theory, which determines the direction of progress.

Theories are more important than experiments, and note that! This does not mean that experiments and tests should not be abandoned, but only that "the order of philosophical theories and scientific experiments" cannot be changed; if theories fall behind, experiments will also fall behind. Because the theory at the ideological level comes first, and the "experimental test" comes later.

Mind is free, it has no limits, but the way of thinking is "solidified".

What about experimental testing? Due to the limitations of testing equipment and other hardware, this is also doomed to the "experimental inspection" to always be slow and the "theory" is a beat.

Group A: "Reason" is the foundation, which is the foundation of philosophical thinking, and the result is "theory". Only when things are figured out at the level of rational thought can the following tests be carried out.

Thinking creates and invents "theories", and philosophy is a system of thinking that tends to be rational, so that theories are established. Then, go to the experiment again. It has a precedence and cannot be reversed!

Theories still need to be tested by experiments, and testing is to verify the correctness of theories. In this way, theories can be "made". For example, for rockets, there is a theoretical plan first, or there is a detection equipment first??—— this order is very clear!

B is the test, and the purpose of B's existence is to test the rationality of the theory (whether it is valid), which is the mission of experimental testing (referred to as science).

Note: In Socrates' learning, A and B are included, and Socrates' philosophical system includes the theory of mental construction, and and the test.

It's just that the "theory" constructed by philosophical thinking comes first, and the experimental test comes later.

In this way, philosophy and experimental testing are one and the same, and they are one and the same with Socrates. It was originally a family, within a system. Philosophy contains the level of thinking and the level of examination, which is one - philosophy.

Philosophy has made a greater contribution to mankind than science, and philosophy pursues the exploration of the unknown and the pursuit of truth, and it promotes the progress of society and civilization. It can be said that philosophy leads the civilization of human society and technological progress! If philosophy is not advanced, it will be difficult for technology to surpass. This point must be clearly recognized!

Theory comes first, experiment comes last, thought comes first, behavior comes last, and this is the relationship between thought and test.

Experimental inspection, limited by equipment hardware.

There is a theory, and there is no experimental hardware equipment??—— then this set of theories, the experiment cannot be tested.

When it comes to thinking, we have to say one more thing, and thinking must also be inclusive, and if we think narrowly, we will definitely have a narrow way out! In this way, the solution to the problem will be limited.

Let's look at the questions that Socrates thought about all his life; Where does Person A come from?B What is the meaning of life?C Why do you live?D Where does you go when you die?E Do people have a soul?F What is a soul?

Try to answer these questions simply, from a faith perspective:

A asks Christians, where do people come from? Well, God created it. A also asked: Why do people live? Ha, preach the gospel and save souls. A then asks: What is a soul? Well, God breathed on Adam, and he became a living soul.

See, Socrates' question, which he couldn't understand, was answered by an old woman of faith.

Socrates needed an answer, which he thought was right. Finally, Socrates said: I believe that man has a soul, so that after I die, I can go to another world (in Pedo, he does say so).

In the Pedo chapter, Socrates said: And I also believe that the world must be more beautiful than it is now.

Note: Socrates did say this, I just expressed his words simply and clearly. The above words are recorded in Plato's "Pedo", and if you are interested, you can read it

Socrates spent most of his life thinking about these questions, but he did not find the answers, and in the end Socrates chose to "believe". He believed that man has a soul.

It should be noted here that Socrates was to be executed on that day, but there was a tradition in Athens that it was not permissible to execute criminals on the day they celebrated the Athenian gods. So Socrates lived one more day! During this time, his friend went to visit him in prison, and Socrates said a quotation.

On this day, Socrates and his friends talked about a lot of things, that is, about the soul. The next day, Socrates was executed with poison;

(Game 14)

In the statement of Socrates' game, it can be seen that... He began to think about life a long time ago.

Where do people come from, why do people live, where do they go after death, what is the soul?—— and so on, Socrates began to think about them a long time ago. These questions took him a long time, and it was not until later in life that he figured them out (Socrates was about eighty years old when he was executed).

If you look at the portrait of Socrates, sitting on a prison bed and lecturing to his friends about the "soul", Socrates with his right hand raised and his index finger pointing up to the sky. What does this mean??—— truth is on the highest!

This world-famous painting is very thought-provoking......

Of course, Socrates was much better than Hemingway, he figured it out! Hemingway? didn't figure it out, so... Hemingway committed suicide.

This is the plight of philosophers, who are often more serious with themselves.

Hemingway, he's famous! He wrote The Old Man and the Sea, which is his most famous work.

The cause of Hemingway's death has always been a mystery! There are many theories about Hemingway's death, and most of them are speculation.

We are here to try to explore Hemingway's death, to see if there is such a possibility, Hemingway suddenly one day, he found that what he was pursuing all his life turned out to be fake!

In other words, I kept teaching others what to do, and one day, I realized that what I taught others was meaningless......

Note: It's tantamount to saying "Hemingway, can't face your own failures." ”

I admire him for rejecting the first half of his life. He couldn't accept the fact that he committed suicide.

Some people's minds just can't turn around and can't face their own failures, especially after decades of failure, they can't deny their past.

For example, I learned everything I learned in the past 40 years, and now I understand, but I can't face my past.

Socrates is different, and when we compare him with Hemingway, we find that Socrates is a free and easy person.

That is to say: "Socrates accepts reality", do people have souls? I don't understand, but I believe that people have souls. This is the free and easy side of Socrates, that is, he can let go, and he no longer clings to those things.

Socrates was in Athens, looking for someone smarter than himself. Throughout his life, except for the reflection on "knowledge," he spent most of his time visiting others! Later, he found that none of this was meaningful.

In the end, Socrates stopped thinking about these things! Where did man come from? Why did he live? What is the soul? Where he went after death??—— he didn't think about these things, he didn't think about them, he knew what he could do, and what he didn't know? Not all of them had to live.

Socrates didn't want those questions anymore! Those questions were the direction he had been exploring all his life. - Socrates said: I believe that man has a soul, and that the world must be better than it is now!

(Socrates is referring to heaven)

So there is no point in saying, he would rather be his original self. That is to say, "When others go out to bask in the sun, I also bask in the sun!" and rejoice with the crowd, which is Socrates' free and easy." - Now is it, Socrates is also relaxed!

Earlier in Socrates' statement, he speaks of his "way of visiting those who think he is wise," and when he visits others, he not only concludes that "he is not wiser than I am," but he also points out what is wrong with the person. In this way, the self-esteem of those who have been taught by Socrates will be hurt! Becoming disgusted......

For example, Socrates A goes to B's house to ask for advice, and B is in the local area and is appreciated. At this time, A and B are discussing the problem, and C, D, and E are the listeners, and after listening to B's answer, A comes to the conclusion that "he is not smarter than me"; ”

Not only that, but C, D, and E also point out where B is wrong. This creates a problem, but those who have been "consulted" by Socrates, who they think are wise, are at once discredited! and despised by those who originally admired him.

Therefore, the people who were consulted by Socrates hated him to the core, and always thought about how to let him die.

Socrates' process of counseling is more like exposing the shortcomings of others.

What about those who have been exposed? Their self-esteem and prestige have been hit. In this way, their hatred for Socrates accumulated.

Socrates not only consulted with famous people, but also from craftsmen in various professions! Almost all people with special skills were consulted by Socrates. (Some were not taught by Socrates, but by his students)

This kind of scandalous way of asking for advice hurts the self-esteem of most people! Socrates has done this countless times. Some of them were made by Socrates' students, and they had nothing to do with Socrates! However, the Athenians laid all the blame on Socrates. Whether Socrates did it or not, it's his fault!

Apparently in Athens, there was a large part of the population who hated Socrates. They believe that Socrates is the bane of Athens, and if Socrates does not die, Athens will not have peace for a day.

Votes: Socrates 36 vs. 64 votes behind.

(Game 16)

This game is very humorous! Socrates not only "exposed" himself to ask others for advice, but his students also loved to do so. From the student's point of view, they're going to find out, "Oh, the teacher is right, and I've verified that it's true!" The students are happy about it.

Here's the problem, Socrates was a man of proportion, he knew who was worth asking, but what about his students? The students didn't necessarily understand that. Maybe the students ask for advice when they see someone, but don't forget! This is a "scandal-revealing verification method." "It's going to offend a lot of celebrities.

This has two consequences: First, Socrates is right to expose the shortcomings of what he thinks is a wise man.

Second, his students expose all the shortcomings (wrong). Students may go to these people who are engaged in trading, weaving, farming, or raising horses to ask for advice, but pay attention! Students' advice has nothing to do with "wisdom", they go to ask for advice according to their interests. Such...... There were more and more people who hated Socrates in Athens! Now it was not limited to the upper class celebrities, but the street vendors hated him.

Socrates, from experience, knew who was worth asking. His students, who did not have this concept, asked whatever they liked, which caused Socrates a lot of trouble!

As Socrates said, "There is such a group of young men, the children of rich families." They listened to me talk to people, did research, and often imitated me to investigate other people." Socrates, continues: I think they will soon discover: "There are those who think they know something, but in reality they know nothing. ”

As a result, those who were interrogated by the young people vented their frustration on me. and not vent on them".

Note: Whether Socrates did it or not, he is responsible for it! The Athenians unanimously scolded Socrates.

Votes: Socrates 34 vs. 66 votes behind.

(Game 17)

Note: In the previous paragraph, Socrates still uses "that is not me" as the main axis, and he transfers the current accusation to the previous one. In addition, he brought up his followers, that is, students of Socrates, this group.

Here, Socrates wanted to disperse the present accusation so as to reduce the responsibility of the accuser against him.

Obviously, in Athens now, Socrates' reputation is already stinking, and he needs to spread his responsibilities in the face of the court. His pupils could be used as targets for distraction, and on the surface Socrates took his followers out to block them, which was beneficial to him in the trial.

This is not a big benefit, but it can distract the jury a little. In addition, it can also reduce your own responsibility, and the strategy is good!

Note: Socrates, who also protected his followers, said: Those young people, they don't know how to pretend to understand! If you ask them, they won't admit it.

Here, it is Socrates who protects his students and exculpates them.

Now the trial situation is still in the doldrums, and Socrates' support rate is no different from the previous one, at about 37%, an increase of 3 points from 34.

However, he has now improved the previous decline, and the words of the previous section saying "the whole court" to him are tired of it. Now the jury, the judge, and the audience are starting to pay attention to what he has to say.

This is conducive to winning support in the next game. That is to say: Socrates has a chance to increase his votes in the next game! As long as he wins two-thirds of the vote, he will win the case.

Now Socrates' approval rating is only 37 votes, which is very unfavorable!

I remember that in the previous paragraph, due to Socrates' mistakes, he adopted the defense method of defense that should be a speech, so that his approval rating fell from 67 to 37 votes. Now the situation has changed, and it has increased by 3 votes to 37%, which is difficult but hopeful.

The key point at this point is that the court personnel have become interested in Socrates' statement! Now the situation is that the plaintiff has the initiative! The defendant Socrates is under great pressure. Votes Socrates 37 vs 63 votes, behind.

(Game 18)

Annotation: On the policy. As before, Socrates always insisted, "That's not me."

This axis, in the future defense, will run all the way to the end. In other words: from the moment Socrates entered the courtroom, he made "that is not me" the core of his defense.

It doesn't matter whether the accusations of the plaintiffs are true or false, the important thing is to deny them all the way, "That's not me."

In addition, Socrates would deny the accuser's guilt before turning to his accuser. Either demeaning or sarcastic, these are all strategies used by Socrates.

In this game, he did not use the old trick of "avoiding the present, recognizing the past, and exaggerating the past"; he still said that he downplayed the current threat and exaggerated the minimum damage in the past.

This is the strategy adopted by Socrates all the way to "avoid the near and stay away". In this statement, he referred to the accusation of "Miletus", a self-professed patriot, against him.

So here is a question, what did Socrates challenge to "Miletus"??What caused "Miletus" to trouble Socrates??

On the face of it, it was about faith, but Socrates was not an Athenian god.

It's not that simple. There is a question here: whether it is said that "Athenians, if they do not believe in the Athenian gods, they are not patriotic", ??—— Socrates argues with "Miletus" is this question.

"Miletus" said that he could not talk about Socrates, but he was very unconvinced, and he began to slander Socrates, saying that he was not patriotic.

Frankly, the "Miletus" argument is untenable. If according to "Miletus", then Athens is not only Socrates, but also an unpatriotic person. Is it true that if you don't believe in the gods of Athens, you are unpatriotic???

Then, those who do not believe in God, including those who believe in foreign gods, are also unpatriotic. There are many people who don't love Athens!

You say he is not patriotic? He also fulfilled his national obligations in Athens, such as military service, paying taxes, and working and producing, all in Athens. Why is he not patriotic??

If patriotism is defined by faith, there may be no country. It is rare for any country to be composed of a single ethnic group, and there are different beliefs among different ethnic groups, even between counties and continents. So how many gods should Athens have as the state religion? Or: how many gods should Athens have as orthodox beliefs?

Obviously, the "Miletus" view is untenable.

In fact, the Athenians were very rich in faith, and as long as it was a god, the Athenians had to erect a statue of him. The most famous god in Athens is the goddess Athena.

It can be said that the Athenians at that time, as long as there was a god, they had to worship and make statues of these gods.

According to the Athenians, what if this god cursed Athens? Therefore, from the attitude of the Athenians towards God, it can be seen that they were polytheistic in their beliefs.

The accusations of "Miletus" against Socrates are untenable. He accuses Socrates because Socrates touched his pride, negative spirit!

He couldn't say it on his lips, but he was still angry in his heart, so he made trouble with Socrates.

Note that the matter of "bringing bad youth" here refers to "the followers of Socrates, who follow the example of a teacher and ask others for advice," which is not the responsibility of "Miletus". He only used this view, which was already accepted by the majority, to achieve the goal of bringing down Socrates.

Socrates' way of asking for advice will arouse the dissatisfaction of many celebrities! And he himself went to the master to discuss it, and as a result, the master was disgraced and disgraced.

And that's not even counting what Socrates' students did. Students are not tasted by teachers, and the goals they discuss are related to their interests. Today we go to discuss farming with the peasants, and tomorrow we discuss the methods with the craftsmen, which means that most of the people in Athens, who have some ability, are very unhappy with these people! This is the direct reason why the Athenians pointed the spearhead at Socrates.

Regardless of whether Socrates did it or not, they all scolded him. Without expelling Socrates at this time, the Athenians could not sleep peacefully. If Socrates hadn't died, the whole of Athens would have been in a mess! It has to be said: Socrates, indeed, gave most people in Athens a panic mentality.

When they saw Socrates, they were scared and ran away! You see, Socrates is so powerful.

Socrates 37 vs 63 votes behind.

(Game 19)

Note: Judging from the dialogue between Socrates and "Miletus", it was the defendant who spoke first, and "Miletus" accused Socrates in a negative mood, which can be seen from the depth of his questions and answers.

"Miletus" did not understand the content of the accusation, he was too rash! In addition, Socrates adopted a roundabout mode of questioning, which confused "Miletus" at once.

That is to say: Socrates asks the same question not only positively, but also negatively. In this way, "Miletus's" mind could not keep up with the rhythm for a while!

Socrates, using the viewpoint of "teaching bad young people," asked "Miletus" rhetorically, saying: Can't the judges present teach young people to learn well? Is it possible for all judges or for one judge to be able to deal with a series of problems, and Miletus has been mastered by Socrates.

If Miletus says, "A judge can't, a group of judges can't, a jury can't," then those people will be disgusted, and their attitude toward Miletus will change.

For example, Miletus offended the judge, and the judge did not accept his accusation. offended the audience, and the audience, because they were offended, turned to Socratic votes. At that time, the situation of the trial was immediately reversed, and Miletus lost the case.

Now, with Socrates 36 votes and Miletus 64, Miletus is absolutely ahead. Obviously, Miletus had the initiative at this time.

Miletus's answer was not necessarily clever! As mentioned earlier, he was caught up in Socrates' questioning. I have to say that Miletus's strategy was good, and at this time, Socrates' votes did not fluctuate much... Still at 36%.

Although Socrates used a roundabout strategy to question Miletus, it was slow to effect! This made his approval rating seem to be deadlocked.

Socrates questioned and damaged the person Miletus, so that his "ignorance" could be highlighted. Showing it to the judge and the jury, the court participants felt that although "Miletus" was indeed a bit stupid, his accusations against you were clear.

From the point of view of the court participants, Socrates' argument was not admissible.

Because Socrates could not convince the jury with a strong argument, he did not do much harm to "Miletus", although he blamed him.

Socrates, 36 votes vs. 64 votes - Miletus.

(20 rounds)

The dialogue in the last game shows that Socrates has been playing tricks on Miletus, and Miridu is not stupid, and he asks a rhetorical question, "Isn't it?" and he throws the question to Socrates.

But Socrates did not answer Miletus's rhetorical question, but continued to ask questions.

Here's the question, why didn't Socrates answer Miletus's rhetorical question??

On the one hand, Socrates could not answer, and on the other hand, there was no answer in Socrates' strategy.

If Socrates answers, yes or no, then how can it be unfolded?

Socrates asks a question, Miletus asks rhetorically, and Socrates asks again, so that the topic will turn and the pattern of Socrates will be disrupted.

At this time, Socrates was still following the layout, setting up a set for "Miletus", and as soon as the topic changed, this set did not work.

Miletus made the mistake of not asking Socrates why he didn't answer??

Milley didn't grasp the opportunity to change the subject.

Votes: Socrates 35 vs 65 votes Miletus.

(Game 21)

Socrates kept questioning Miletus, and it lasted for a long time! The first second he said, "Miletus, answer my question!" and the second second he said, "Oh, Miletus, why don't you answer that?" That's not a difficult question to answer. (The time is very tight, and Milley can't react for a while)

From the grasp of time, Socrates did not give Milley a chance to answer. Even if "Miletus" had an answer, he would not let him say.

Miletus tried not to answer Socrates' questions, and he would not answer them unless he had to.

What did Socrates do? In doing so, he showed the ignorance of "Miletus" and made the judges, the jury, see his ignorance, and lose faith in his accusations.

For example, if there is a fool in the courtroom who goes to sue the lawyer, who do you say the judge will listen to? For fools, as long as they are not particularly sharp accusations, they are basically ignored.

Socrates' incessant questioning disrupted Miletus' plan of defense. On the other hand, it also made him answer carefully, and Milley was very cautious.

Now the situation in the trial is slowly leaning towards Socrates, with 38 votes, 3 votes longer than before.

Slow, because Socrates' strategy is "roundabout questioning", so the effect is slow.

Socrates did not have a strong argument to refute Miletus, but Socrates was right, and although he was slow to ask questions, he was always in control. If it is not handled well, it will hurt Socrates even more.

If "Miletus" had the right to speak??—— then Socrates would only have the right to answer, and he could not admit his guilt, and admitting guilt would be tantamount to a death sentence. Socrates had no way to answer Miletus's question.

As mentioned earlier, in the face of Miletus's accusations, Socrates always insisted that "that is not me", and that he could only answer "before", not "now". It is equivalent to saying that Socrates "avoids the present and answers the past;" which obviously has little to do with the case.

Votes: Socrates 38 vs 62 votes for Miletus.

(Game 22)

He said earlier that Socrates did not believe in the gods of Athens, and now he says, "He did not believe in God at all." ”

This is a point of contradiction, and the court will slowly lose confidence in him. At this time, Socrates degraded "Miletus", and the previous strategy showed the ignorance of "Miletus" to everyone. This will have an impact on Miletus's accusation and defense!

The judge and the jury will look down on Miletus, that is, the court will not take his charges seriously.

Miletus was a little flustered at this time, he knew that if he continued like this, Socrates would win! Socrates still had the previous strategy, asking questions in a roundabout way, asking questions in a positive and negative way, so that Milley was in a hurry, and it was difficult to answer. The most obvious is "loss".

Votes: Socrates 39 vs 61 votes Miletus.

(23rd Bedroom)

This time, Socrates brought Miletus to his academic area! He asked Miletus: Is there anyone who thinks that things about human beings exist, but does not believe in human beings?

The second question: Does anyone believe in equestrianism, but does he believe in horses?

Note: This kind of problem is Socrates' academic field! Such a question is difficult to figure out in a short period of time.

In other words: Socrates took a question that Milli had never touched, and asked him to answer it. Coupled with the tight time, he couldn't answer, Socrates didn't give him, and Miridu had a chance to think.

Let's try to reason first and see what the result is: Socrates asks Miletus:

One question: Is there anyone who thinks that things about human beings exist, but does not believe that there are human beings?

First of all, the question is very confusing, and Socrates' use of "word" confuses people's understanding of the subject.

It stands to reason that he should have asked: Is there anyone who believes in human beings but doesn't believe in anyone?

Ask this way, it is clearer. Socrates' question is too confusing! For a while, people can't react.

Although he answered it himself, this question must have been thought about by him.

Let's look at the question: Is there anyone who believes in the existence of human things, but doesn't believe in anyone?

If Miletus had said, "Yes," Socrates would have asked, "If there are no people, where is the business of mankind?"

Suppose Miletus says, "No," and Socrates says, "I believe." Miletus asked, "How do you prove it?" Socrates said, "Faith, you don't need to prove it!"

Let's look at the second question: Does anyone believe in equestrianism but not in horses?

Miletus, said, "Yes." Socrates asks: Without horses, where did equestrianism come from??

Here we reach a dead end again, and the final answer is no.

It is also possible that Socrates said, "Yes," because he believed. "Faith" does not need to be proven, although you see equestrianism, but I don't believe it. You have the freedom to believe, I have the freedom not to believe, and it has nothing to do with the facts.

It's like if there is a God or not, those who believe say yes, and those who don't believe say no. So whoever is right??—— the answer is: all right.

He who believes cannot prove to those who do not believe, nor can he who does not believe prove to those who believe that there is none.

Those who believe say to those who do not believe, "There is God." The unbelieving asks: You prove it to me, but he has no way to prove that he "is."

The unbeliever says to the believer, "There is no God." The believer asks, "Why do you say no?" and the unbeliever says, "Because you cannot see." The believer said, "If you can't see it, you can't prove it."

Those who do not believe say, "Well, I still don't believe it." There is no way, they all have their own reasons, since they can't be proven, then everyone has their own way.

In fact, there is no absolute between believing and unbelieving, and unbelievers sometimes choose to believe. Those who believe sometimes slowly break away, and the two are in the process of being converted into each other.

The current situation in the trial is that Socrates has the right to speak, and his support rate has increased from 39 votes to 41 votes, but Miletus, although passive, has the upper hand.

Socrates 41 vs 59 votes Miletus.

Although the dominant power was in the hands of "Miletus", that is, if the vote had been cast now, Socrates would have been convicted. But Socrates had the right to speak at this time, and as long as he could convince those present, the number of votes would increase.

Now the trial continues, but... Very bad for Socrates. This is much stronger than the previous 34 votes and 36 votes.

In this game, although Socrates pressed Milley with a difficult answer, Socrates was still unable to convince the judge and the jury of the content of the accusation.

Socrates, 41 vs. 59 votes, Miletus.

(Game 24)

Note: In this game, Socrates has sensed that the tide is turning!

Although he was eloquent, he could not convince those present in the court to support him.

There was no way, Socrates did not, and a strong argument refuted Miletus's accusations. At this time, Socrates was depressed because he felt "hopeless".

Socrates, 39 votes vs 61 votes Miletus.

(Game 25)

Note: It's over, Socrates is making his final statement......

Here, we are left with a thought: what went wrong with Socrates in this trial, which caused him to drop from 67 votes at the beginning to 37 votes?

He is now only 36 votes, and he is sure to lose the case, and Socrates will be sentenced to death.

The point was that at 67 votes, the strategy he chose went awry, which led to a sudden and sharp drop in his approval ratings.

Socrates should not have taken the form of "oratory" and suddenly adopted the method of "defense". The state he cut wrong, no way.

Socrates, 33 vs. 67 votes, Miletus.

(Game 26)

Judging by the tone and the content of the story, this is more like Socrates' lamentation!

It's not that Socrates didn't care about the outcome of the trial, but he already felt that "there was no hope." ”

In fact, my inference is not to read the whole "Defense" first, but from the tone and the core of the defense, and then look at Socrates' performance in each link, and then deduce.

Read a paragraph and make an assessment of the current form, listing the key points so that the situation in the trial can be seen.

Socrates, 33 vs. 67 votes, Miletus.

(27th Bureau)

In the last game, although it was the sorrow of Socrates, from the point of view of the defense, the result was very bad. At this time, his heartfelt statement still backfired.

Here, Socrates no longer expects to win the case! That is to say, "defeat is decided", and what he is doing at this time is summing up himself.

Important: The defeat is decided, and what Socrates is doing at this time is a "summary" of himself.

It is to tell everyone in the court, what kind of person I am Socrates.

Socrates' votes dropped from 33 to 27. The gap between the votes and "Miletus" is getting wider and wider. Finished!

Socrates 27 votes vs 73 votes, Miletus.

(28 innings)

Note that Socrates' statement here is painful, but still unable to win the mercy of the court participants. But Socrates' emotional card still managed to get him back a little bit of support, from 27 to 3 votes, and "Miletus" is now 70 votes.

Socrates, 30 vs. 70 votes, Miletus.

(Judgment pronounced by the court)

There is no way, Socrates' speech is pale! Although most of what he said is true, the court at this time is no longer willing to listen to it.

Socrates votes 30 vs 70 votes, Miletus. Socrates – Lost the case.

Socrates concludes: "The hour of departure has come, and we will each go our own way! I die, and you will live! Whose fate is better?—— only God knows."

God, I have to say: Socrates' final statement is too powerful......

Socrates, votes 30 vs. 70 votes, Miletus.

The court pronounced the verdict: Socrates - death penalty!

Final Comment: Although Socrates eventually lost to Miletus by a 30-74 vote, which led to his death, it doesn't mean how smart "Miletus" was.

It can only be said that "the angry Athenians at that time hated Socrates too much", and it can only be said that Socrates' way of asking for advice angered the nerves of many Athenians......

From the increase and decrease of the number of votes, we can see the effect of Socrates' debate in each link. Although he was sincere, he could not be upheld by the jury or the judge. The best part of the pleadings is mainly in the first part, and in the final argument, it is Socrates who feels that the tide has passed, and his heart screams!

- There is no way around it.

Socrates, who had tried to solicit votes through the later statements, found that the court members were tired of his voice. No way! Speech, just say goodbye!

What strangled Socrates?

In general:

First, 40% of the Athenians did not understand;

second, 34 percent of Socrates' students;

Third, Socrates' method of counseling accounts for 26%

Note: In this trial, Socrates took on a large part of the responsibility, his students. This... Originally, it was a sin that should not have been borne by him.

Conclusion: The philosophical height of Socrates remains the same—— Socrates will always be respected!

Thanks for reading, welcome to follow!

Author: He Yongqi