19.5 Last Man Standing

Socrates showed by deeds as well as words on the day of the Assembly that he stood for the rule of law and against the arbitrary actions of a democracy out of control. The passions of the moment prevailed, as they did too often in the Assembly of Athens, particularly in the waning days of the Peloponnesian War. There was no Pericles (senior) to temper the moods of the masses. Demagogues such as Cleophon and Callixeinus told the crowds what they wanted to hear and encouraged them to see themselves as above the law. They undermined free speech in the Assembly by threatening to include advocates for the defendants among the defendants. The majority was willing to commit judicial murder against its enemies. Debate was replaced with intimidation as the Assembly turned into a mob. <a href="https://medium.com/the-first-philosophers/19-5-last-man-standing-b3a03460cba9">Read More</a>