When Xantippe said, "Dear, your death is not justified," the 70-year-old Socrates responded, "You don't wish my death to be justified." The ancient Greek philosopher was determined to accept his unjust fate with dignity. He might have wanted to prove his innocence to his fellow citizens of Athens with his own death. He was charged with corrupting the youth and put to death by drinking Hemloc.
Socrates trial is the product of direct democracy. Socrates was against direct democracy and was in search of the ideal city- state. In 4th and 5th century b.c direct democracy was the form of government used in Athens. Socrates did not agree with this form of government. He was in search of an ideal government. To understand why Socrates did not agree with this form of government we must understand its origin. The word democracy comes from two Greek words: a noun, demos which means ''people'' and a verb, kratein, which means ''to rule,'' Its basic meaning is ''government by the people" or "rule by the ruled.'' .
Socrates quest for justice was written in the form of a dialogue by his student Plato, in Plato's Republic. Plato believed the Athenian democracy was on the verge of ruin and was responsible for Socrate's death. This encouraged him to write the Republic. In Plato's ideal society justice ruled. .
What is Justice? This is the question that Socrates wanted to find an answer to. According to the American Heritage Dictionary justice is the quality of being just and fair; the principle of moral rightness; conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness. It's easy for me to open up a book and read the definition of justice. But Socrates did not do that. Instead he sought after it. He went and asked friends of his the question: What is justice?.
In Plato's Republic Socrates search for justice is written in the form of a dialogue with three friends, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and Glaucon.
