Chapter 457

"Murdered; Socrates, he was forced to drink hemlock, which is a poison. He was just too smart for the rest of the people in Athens. They wanted to get rid of him. They called him a traitor, put him through a mock trial, and convicted him. They let him sit in a jail cell for 30 days, which he could walk into or out of at will. He was given a choice: Drink the hemlock, or leave town. He drank the hemlock and died."

"Didn't they think that was a little extreme, Uncle Clark?"

"Socrates was approximately 70 years old, and penniless. Where was he going to go, and how was he going to get there? The hemlock was his only real choice. If he was caught 'escaping' anyone could have run him through with a sword."

"Uncle Clark, how did we get from putting Fred back to work, to Socrates drinking hemlock?"

"You asked me about the Socratic method, which is 'I ask you a question, you answer the question, and I as