Socrates' civic goal was to make people THINK. He was on a mission to prove if he was the wisest man in Athens and he was. He didn't know that until he questioned everyone and spoke of his findings. Socrates pretty much checked everyone and made them eat their own words. He did things people were too scared to do. It wasn't illegal but it was something new, it was change. People do not know how to react to change. Kids listened to him because they liked seeing people in high places being embarrassed. They admired Socrates.
Socrates is really in jail because people didn't like being made fun of. No one likes being criticized. It's only right to criticize the government if what they do is unjust. By unjust I mean like the human fairness thing. Like, we're all equal, we all have freedom to say whatever we want, we all should be treated fairly, etc. If the government were to ban a certain book just because it's against a certain president, I would say the government could be then criticized. Or Segregation, if the government were to make segregation legal again, the government could be criticized. Even though it wouldn't be criticized, it'd be demolished.
Technically, in Socrates' time; it is actually NEVER okay to criticize the government. Whatever they say is whatever goes. You must respect the rules they have put in place. If you don't like it, you can leave. No one is forcing you to stay here.
I think it's fine to criticize the government as long as it is done in a kind fashion. A complaint here and there isn't bad, but to like go on a rant is absurd.
That had nothing to do with anything, but I'm just saying.
I don't think Socrates should've been put in jail, he did nothing wrong. He did have his chance to prove himself and Athens didn't think he had it. He chose to die because he wanted to make a point AND he was never going to betray Athens. He criticized the government just by not disobeying and going into exile.
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