Part 3/9:
Socrates contended that allowing untrained citizens to vote was as reckless as entrusting a ship’s navigation to amateurs. His insistence on education underscores the idea that democratic participation is not merely about rights but also about the responsibilities that come with them.
A Personal Tragedy: Socrates and the Athenian Jury
Socrates’ criticisms were not merely theoretical; he experienced the consequences of democratic failure firsthand. In 399 BC, he faced trial on fabricated charges of corrupting the youth of Athens, culminating in a narrow jury’s verdict of guilt and his eventual execution via hemlock. This tragic fate resonates deeply, evoking a sense of injustice akin to the suffering of Jesus Christ in Christian thought.