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S O C R A T E S '

I N V O L V E M E N T W I T H

P O L I T I C S

Socrates condemned the injustice in the Athenian society. He
criticized the rich and the powerful, and the laws that these had

established for themselves, which created classes of people. They

sought to exile him from Greece. Socrates taught principles pertaining

to the proper governing of people. He taught that a government

should never be self-serving; it should never act in and of itself and of
its own accord for the sake of its own existence. Government should be

restricted in its power according to the restrictions that are necessary

to ensure that it abides by this first principle and law. A government

serves those who benefit from its existence; and those who benefit

from its existence are those who give it the power that it hath received.
And the power that it has received has been given to this government

to serve those who have given it its power.

The beginnings of democracy of the people in setting up the laws of
the government in the Greek nation were inspired by Socrates. During

the time of Socrates, the leaders of the government began to consume

the power that they had received from the people in their own selfish

ways. When Socrates was told to leave the nation, he refused. A death
sentence was pronounced upon his head, and he was killed. He left no

written record of the things which he had taught the people.

Subsequently, his teachings were corrupted and changed through oral

tradition.