Comment:

Interestingly enough, Aristophanes' play (and the other similar charges of youth-corrupting) did not say that Socrates taught children to be violent and disobedient, only that he taught them to argue persuasively. This persuasion, in turn, allowed the youths to justify - to others and to themselves - any and every action their ids desired.

When I was much younger, I truly and literally thought that, with open and honest debate, a group of smart people of good will could, in time, arrive at the capital-T Truth - indeed, that it was inevitable! I think the fact that "debate skill" is a thing that exists, however, is proof that such a fantasy is untenable in the real world, even among honest and sincere participants. After all, if it is possible to be better or worse at debating than another person, then the outcome of any debate is contingent on at least one factor other than the veracity of the positions being argued.

And that leaves aside the possibilities that neither side is correct, or that finding the Truth requires investigation or invention that has not yet been done, or that the participants are, in some way, addled or hampered by an outside contaminant. In addition, there are an infinite number of ways that bias, mistakes, and bad faith (with or without conscious intent) can very often derail even the best-formatted arguments - hell, there's a reason that men over six foot are statistically more likely to win elections, and it's not because elevation of the nostrils allows the brain to get more oxygen.

Alas, as per the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, many facts and opinions are stored and processed in the head via language, which means that they may be subject to the same flaws even if they never get out from between one's ears. Does learning proper debate engender proper thought? Or, if debate skill does influence outcome regardless of veracity, does it just make one more able to stick to a comfortable but incorrect position?

Should the youth be taught techniques of persuasion, and, if so, what other skills and precepts should they be taught first?

Transcript:

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0341– 2167/07/07/10:00 - Rosenthal College, Phi building, classroom 1248
OT: Okay, everybody, settle down, settle down, we’ve only got fifty-five minutes together, we wanna make’em count. I see the same number of warm bodies here as I did yesterday, so we’ll just get right into it:
OT: Other than “I know that I know nothing” and their Socratic method, Socrates is perhaps best known for being sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. Who here knows what crimes against Athens Socrates ostensibly committed?
Zoa [electronic communication to LC]: Okay, Lee, remember: class participation. We know this stuff, we’ve got insight. Raise your hand, contribute to the discourse of dis course.
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OX: Socrates was… a gadfly?
OT: Yes, Mezzer Xavier, Socrates was often described as a “gadfly” (that’s a catchall word for insects like the horsefly and the now-extinct botfly that bother livestock). Although neither Socrates nor Plato used that term exactly, they did say that they had attached themselves to Athens to “sting” it, like a bug forcing a lazy horse to rouse itself from its slumbers.
OT: But that’s only the emotional cause of their unpopularity, not the actual charges alleged by the court. Anyone else?
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HA: Corruption of the youth!
OT: Bingo! Throughout human history, if you want to whip up an angry mob and justify violence, all you gotta do is tell a crowd of parents that some weirdo is messing with their kids.
OT: In fact, a playwright named Aristophanes created a comedy called “The Clouds” that satirized Socrates and their teachings, a play that ends with a young student being taught to beat their own parents up!
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OT: There was another big charge against Socrates… anyone?
EB: Sacrilege against the gods?
OT: Another bingo! Yes, at a time when belief in Zeus and Poseidon was very much literal, challenging the dominant religion was seen as tantamount to inviting divine wrath upon the city! Pestilence, storms, war, losing your keys – just pin the blame on whoever pissed off the Powers that Be!
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LC: Were… were they right, then?
OT: What’s that, Mezzer Caldavera?
Zoa [electronic communication]: You got this, babe. Wow’em with your insight. [thumbs up]
LC: Well, uh… Socrates’ teachings did influence the next generation, that’s why we’re talking about them today. And not a lot of people worship Zeus any more, possibly due to that influence. So… in a way… the charges were correct.
LC: ...right?
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OT: Mm, fair point, fair point. So I’ll just add you to the “guilty” side, shall I?
LC: I- that’s not what I-
OT: In fact, what the heck, we’ve got an odd number of voices here, let’s relitigate the trial real quick! Any pre-laws here willing to speak on behalf of the accused?
LC: But… but I never said-
Zoa [electronic communication]: Okay, apparently I literally can’t help you argue on behalf of killing a human being, regardless of whether or not they’re already dead. Best of luck.
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