The Awakening

Written by Michael Black

Before the arrival of Socrates, tradition fueled Athenian society. Men such as Strepsiades from Clouds lived like his elders had and expected nothing less of his son. Few ever questioned tradition. This was how their ancestors thought and lived, and in turn, this was how they would think and live. Other ideas of life and the world were foreign to them, and thus it took a bold person like Socrates to reveal to the Athenians a new world of ideas and thought. Socrates impacted society in ways that few had before and few would do after. This was because he not only thought differently himself, but he revolutionized the way others thought. Socrates brought reason to a society that had a thought process clouded by tradition. Although Socrates' openness to new ideas and his ability to impact others helped change Athenian society, his method of following an argument where it leads lacked a needed standard of comparison and eventually led to his downfall and ultimately his death.

Most Athenians chose to adapt their thought from traditional ways. For example, Euthyphro acted surprised when Socrates' even mentioned not turning his father in for murder, stating, "It's laughable, Socrates, that you suppose that it makes any difference whether the dead man is an outsider or of the family" (Euthyphro, 44). Others such as Strepsiades were shocked when their sons chose not to follow what they said. Socrates' did not automatically subscribe to what he was supposed to do; he strove for truth and would ultimately die pursuing his quest.

Page 1 of The Awakening - Socrates and Athenian Society
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