The Death of Socrates (Profiles in History)

I found Professor Wilson’s book invaluable in the course of writing a novel, Sophronikos, Son of Sokrates, not so much because of what I didn’t know about the historical figure Socrates, nobody really knows much about him; I found it invaluable because of Wilson’s candor early on. She acknowledges a conflict that so many modern fans of Socrates must have—a conflict between their admiration of a man who relentlessly pursued Truth and their disappointment in him because of his ostensible lack of attention to his family: “I find Socrates’ family life—of lack of it—particularly difficult to admire,” Wilson says. “It is hard to respect a man who neglected his wife and sons in order to spend his time drinking and chatting with his friends about the definitions of common words.” So immediately I felt that I had in hand a work by someone who had given thought to the man “in the round,” as theater people might say.We can level complaints at Wilson because of that statement, that maybe one shouldn’t judge Socrates with modern sensibilities, that maybe things were different back in the day, that maybe we’re actually talking Plato here rather than Socrates; but when a modern reader does some digging, he or she will certainly, at some point, be struck by this apparent “lack” in our icon Socrates. He had three sons, a wife or two (we’re not really sure how many wives), and for whatever reasons, he chose to drink poison and off himself when, according to tradition, friends and admirers had provided him an opportunity to escape. And this to me as a writer was something that I was very interested in; that “lack” must have had a direct and deep impact on his oikos. Wilson is one of the few scholars I came across who have directly criticized him because of this, and for that I commend her.This is a fine book to add to a collection, and I recommend it without reservation. Hopefully in the future she’ll make it available as an ebook. If you’re interested in Socrates try others as well by Waterfield, Hughes, Stone, Vlastos, Navia, McPherran, and of course the primary sources we have on Socrates.

I suspect there are few others in history besides Christ who have had more books written about his death and its meaning than Socrates. From Plato, his student and other contemporaries such as Xenophon, through many centuries where he was adopted by other skeptics of the prevailing social order such as Erasmus, who called him a saint, the trial and circumstances of the death sentence imposed on him, and his willingness to carry it out have resulted in many adopters of his cause.As a libertarian myself, I have always thought that much of what Socrates was ultimately about was to force people to ask questions about "established" wisdom; one of the most threatening things that can be done in any social order. Doing this at a time when there were many gods supposedly looking after ancient Athens was really no different than those who went to their deaths in Stalin's gulags; a timeless threat to those who rule by consensus or complete control.Wilson has obviously spent many years researching her subject and has come up with her own theories about just why Socrates was given the death sentence, and they deserve just as much deference as many others which have been equally well "established" by others who studied the man and the era.This is a really great book about a wonderful topic and one of the few I have read on the subject that i plan to keep in my library.

This witty, erudite book forces us to look again at one of the founders of Western civilisation. Going beyond hagiography, this book is highly readable and scholarly, accessible to students but serious and original enough for specialists. I recommend it highly.

This book is a thorough study of the whys and wherefores of a significant historical event that has resonated over the centuries in western civilization. The author explains Socrates' philosophy and the society he lived in and describes the event. Then reviews how the event had influenced not only ancient Greece but also Rome and beyond. All the way to the Enlightment and modern times citing all kinds of philosophers, writers and artists. The book has pictures of paintings that depicted the event and has an extensive bibliography for future reading. The author even interjects with her own opinions about the subject, especially about Socrates' nagging wife. I enjoyed reading it for its insights and recommend it.

It seemed to me that the writer dwelled too long on minor parts of the Socrates story creating an often times dull read.

Well researched book on the use of Socrates' death in history as symbolic fact and metaphor. I take issue with author's reference of prisoners' rights to a proper hearing when applied to terrorist combatants held at Guantanamo. They are military POWs and as such are not entitled to the same rights as U.S. citizens; is there any dispute to their guilt in fomenting and engaging in combat - certainly not the courageous kind their culture is unfamiliar with - against U.S. soldiers? Otherwise an impressive scholarly work.

This book describes what Socrates was in favour of and why he died, and even, why he had to die.He had to die to underline in an unmistakeable way, the importance of freedom of speech. It truly is something worth dieing for.Freedom of speech is, as far as he was concerned,a matter of simple conversation. You say what's on your mind and the other person says what's on their mind.Nobody says 'you can't say that'.THIS NOT WHAT WE HAVE NOW.