In 399 BCE, one of the wisest men in history was put to death. This man was not only extremely wise, but also very influential. He was a leader of the highest caliber. This is Socrates, undoubtedly one of the most eminent men in philosophical history. Socrates is a figure of evolution, when it comes to the way people think. He was condemned to death by the Athenians for having corrupted the youth, not believing in gods recognized by the State and having introduced supernatural beings. The Athenians were unjust in their conviction and death sentence of Socrates because he helped the youth rather than corrupting them, attempted to abolish ignorance, and provided sufficient evidence of his wisdom. Rather than corrupting, Socrates definitely helped the Athenian youth. Socrates held debates in which he taught young people how to effectively win arguments. These debates included: “The goal of the questioner was to elicit a contradictory statement from the respondent; the respondent's goal was to anticipate the logical pitfalls of the questions and address them effectively and coherently” (Colaiaco 106). Here, Socrates teaches the Athenian youth a very important approach to arguments and even to life. It teaches them to approach the issue logically, and that logic can win arguments. These debates also taught young people tactical planning and other strategic ways to win tough debates. It also involved presenting facts, rather than relying on opinions to win arguments. Socrates also encouraged his students to think independently and for themselves. This is something that was lacking in Athenian youth before Socrates. Socrates believed that you could bring about change in people if you thought about ethics, justice, politics, morality and how... middle of paper ... a change in the human mind and the way of thinking. Socrates will always remain an influential man, considered one of the few philosophers who changed philosophy forever. His acceptance of death proved to be a wise decision as it remains a critical subject over 2000 years later. Socrates helping the youth rather than corrupting them, attempting to abolish ignorance, and providing sufficient proof of his wisdom are all reasons why the Athenians were unjust in their conviction and sentence of death to Socrates. Works Cited Brickhouse, Thomas C. and Nicholas D. Blacksmith. Socrates on trial. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1989.Print.Colaiaco, James A. Socrates versus Athens: Philosophy on Trial. New York: Routledge, 2001.Print.Plato, selection from The Apology (from NM Bailkey Readings in Ancient History (DC Heath and Co, 1992), pp. 242-252)