What questions did Socrates ask that got him killed

Socrates was executed 2423 years ago after being accused of corrupting the youth with his philosophy.

Here are the dangerous things he taught:

His most “dangerous” idea was to never leave authority unchallenged.

Question the gods, the government, all the powers in society.

He influenced people to think outside of the stories and traditions that gave “the few” power over “the many.”

Some of the questions Socrates asked were whether we should obey all laws. Questioning whether some were right and just.

Are gods real? If traditional gods like Athena were linked to the laws of the city, then the gods should vary from city-to-city, as laws vary from city-to-city.

This means gods like Poseidon might have relative importance in one area and not so in others. And what kind of God is a relative God?

He taught his pupils how to argue effectively.

Don’t rush into an argument, telling people what you think straight away.

Take a step back and think what you are going to say. It is much easier to defend attack this way.

He says that the cost of being wrong is to suffer the pain of learning.

Urging us to have intellectual humility — famously stating, “All I know is that I know nothing.”

He challenges us to think about our own beliefs and question whether or not we really know anything at all.

In a world where so many people are quick to accept things as facts without questioning, this quote is a much-needed reminder that we should always exercise critical thinking.

After all, Socrates believed that knowledge was the highest virtue, arguing that there is no evil, only ignorance (lack of knowledge.)

Knowledge not just in facts, but in understanding.

You cannot be brave, just, or temperate without knowledge, as they all require an understanding of what is right.

Calling someone “evil” or slandering them is refusing to understand them.

If you refuse to understand someone, you remain ignorant — you increase the likelihood of a similar someone coming about, you increase the likelihood of you becoming that someone.

The death sentence of Socrates was the consequence of asking politico-philosophic questions of his students — although after being found guilty, his friends offered to help him escape.

But he decided that as he lived in Athens, he should abide by their rules even if they were unjust.

He saw escape as a form of wrongdoing and would undermine the very philosophy he preached.

He calmly carried out his death sentence, which was to drink a glass of hemlock.

In doing so, avoiding hypocrisy and maintaining philosophical integrity.