Socrates was one of the first true intellectuals in human history. The societal conventions of his time condemned intellectual enlightenment. They viewed secular knowledge as an obstruction of the path to spiritual enlightenment which was far superior to any intellectual exploits. Socrates was a revolutionary thinker in that he recognized the benefits and importance of studying philosophical elements instead of devoting his life to religion. In the eyes of his contemporaries, Socrates' defiance of tradition and religion as the sole importance of life and thought was so unorthodox that it was punishable by death. According to The Human Record, "Socrates refused to accept the answers of tradition and the way of the past as infallible guides to wisdom and behavior" (Human Record 115). To members of Athenian society, this refusal was completely unacceptable. Even worse to his fellow citizens was Socrates' desire to spread his knowledge and his tendency...