In The Apologia Socrates insists that in order to lead fulfilled lives the citizens of Athens must ponder whether their actions and their beliefs are good or evil, just or unjust. He reasons that, before Athenians may enjoy luxuries such as wealth and prestige, they must first examine their consciences and ensure that they lead upright and moral lives. Socrates argues that in order to attain fulfillment men must deliberately excercise the intellectual freedom which they possess of choosing between good and evil. Dostoevsky's Grand Inquisitor disagrees, claiming instead that in order to know happiness mankind must abjure the ability to discern between good and evil. The Inquisitor will allow men the enjoyment of wealth and even sin - but he is convinced that they will attain this carefree existence only if they give up the freedom of moral and philosophical examination.

      Socrates alienates the men of Athens by delving into issues of morality and searching for the ideals of wisdom, truth, and justice. Not only does Socrates himself seek to understand what distinguishes 'good' from 'evil', but he also insists that other Athenians consider these concepts. "As long as I have breath and strength I will not give up philosophy and exhorting you and declaring the truth to every one of you whom I meet, saying, as I am accustomed, 'My good friend, you are a citizen of Athens, a city which is very great and very famous for its wisdom and power - are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?" (p.35) Socrates wishes to help his countrymen attain fulfillment and happiness. He believes that the unconscious existence of one who does not contemplate the question of morality lacks the fulfillment of a discerning and thoughtful life. To this end, he tries to force the unwilling inhabitants of Athens to philisophically examine their ethical and moral codes.
      In contrast, Dostoevsky's Grand Inquisitor attempts to remove the burden of examination from men's lives in order to assure their happiness. He believes that cognition of the difference between good and evil, as well as the freedom to choose between the two, is the root of mankind's disillusionment. Dostoevsky states, "[The Inquisitor] claims it as a merit for himself and his church that they have vanquished freedom and have done so to make men happy." (p.298) The Grand Inquisitor chastizes his Prisoner, Jesus, for his biblical insistance that in order to live a worthwhile life mankind must examine the morality of his actions and wrestle with the ideas of good and evil. "Instead of taking men's freedom from them, Thou didst make it greater than ever! Didst Thou forget that man prefers peace, and even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil?" (p.302) The Inquisitor insists that the intellectual and spiritual autonomy so prized by his Prisoner leaves mankind miserable and confused. "Man must...with free heart decide for himself what is good and what is evil, having only Thy image before him as his guide. But didst Thou not know he would at last reject even Thy image and Thy truth, if he is weighed down with the fearful burden of free choice? They will cry aloud at last that the Truth is not in Thee, for they could not have been left in greater confusion and suffering than Thou hast caused, laying upon them so many cares and unanswerable problems." (p.303) The Inquisitor seeks to remove from mankind's consciousness the understanding of good and evil, just and unjust, truth and untruth, as well as the ability to choose freely between them. "We too have a right to preach a mystery, and to teach [the people] that it's not the free judgement of their hearts, not love that matters, but a mystery which they must follow blindly, even against their conscience." (p.305) The authoritarian leadership which Dostoevsky's Inquisitor provides will, he reasons, allow humanity to attain a blissful existence, free from the intellectual autonomy and the suffering which Jesus would impose upon them. "We have corrected Thy work and have founded it upon miracle, mystery, and authority. And men rejoyced that they were again led like sheep, and that the terrible gift that had brought them such suffering, was, at last, lifted from their hearts." (p.305) By depriving mankind of the freedom to choose between good and evil, the Inquisitor removes from man's conscience the necessity of distinguishing between truth and untruth, right and wrong, justice and injustice. He procures for humanity an unconscious, heedless, and unexamined contentment: "The most painful secrets of their conscience, all, all they will gladly bring to us, and we shall have an answer for all. And they will be glad to believe our answer, for it will save them from the great anxiety and terrible agony they endure at present in making a free decision for themselves." (p.308)
      Both Jesus and Socrates would have mankind prize the freedom to choose between good and evil and suffer through the intellectual doubt and confusion necessary in order to find fulfillment. In the process of making the difficult moral judgements demanded of them, individuals would examine their lives and thereby attain the understanding necessary to become 'good'. In such a way wisdom and ultimately happiness might be obtained. The Grand Inquisitor, on the other hand, would obviate this painful cognitive struggle by requiring that mankind give up the intellectual freedom which incites such debate. By sacrificing the necessity of choice between good and evil, mankind could leave behind the torment and confusion which it engenders. The Grand Inquisitor seeks by his authoritarian stewardship to offer mankind the uncomprehending and intellectually unchallenged existence which he believes would illicit contentment.

      Socrates and the Grand Inquisitor are both, like Jesus, destined to be sacrificed to a cause. Both individuals attempt to influence the lives of the masses among whom they dwell; both suffer for their determination to do so.
      Socrates is the gadfly attempting to goad Athens into examining its own ethical and moral codes. He carries the message of his god just as Jesus was believed to speak for the Christian god. "The god has commanded me... to spend my life in searching for wisdom, and in examining myself and others... I think that no greater good has ever befallen you in the state than my service to the god. For I spend my whole life in going about and persuading you all to give your first and greatest care to the improvement of your souls, and not till you have done that to think of your bodies or your wealth." (p.35) Socrates insists upon communicating the god's will despite Athens' resistance - and like Jesus, he is put to death for his pains.
      The Grand Inquisitor thinks of himself as a scapegoat who for the happiness of mankind must take upon himself the moral knowledge of all. The Inquisitor and his cohorts will shoulder the burden of guilt for mankind's 'original sin', which first offered humanity the knowledge of good and evil and thus the freedom to choose between them. The happiness of the masses must be achieved at the cost of a few. "And all will be happy, all the millions of creatures except the hundred thousand who rule over them. For only we, we who guard the mystery, shall be unhappy. There will be thousands of millions of happy babes, and a hundred thousand sufferers who have taken upon themselves the curse of the knowledge of good and evil." (p.308) In relieving mankind of the power of discernment between good and evil, the Grand Inquisitor has also relieved them of the knowledge of the possibility of sin, and has therefore negated their capacity to avoid it. This "one martyr oppressed by great sorrow and loving humanity..." (p.310) must therefore bear responsibility for the transgressions of all. The Inquisitor is now the symbolic receptor of all taint and iniquity. Ironically, he has assumed the position once held by the Prisoner whom he refutes: the sacrificial Lamb who received unto himself the sins of the world, suffered, and was slaughtered in order that they might be forgiven.
      Just as Jesus was believed to speak for the Christian god, Socrates carries the unwelcome message of his god to the Athenians. Like Jesus, he is condemned by the people to whom he would preach. The Grand Inquisitor is a scapegoat who for the happiness of mankind must take upon himself the knowledge and the sin of all. He will suffer in order that the masses may know blithe and carefree contentment. Both Socrates and the Grand Inquisitor offer themselves up as sacrifices for the causes which they defend. In this way an analogy may be traced between Socrates, the Grand Inquisitor, and Jesus. Moreover, Socrates and Jesus are in agreement that the freedom to choose between good and evil is precious to mankind, and that fulfillment may be achieved by struggling with the intellectual doubt and confusion which theis choice engenders. The Grand Inquisitor, however, contends that happiness will instead be achieved only when mankind gives up the intellectual freedom and the knowledge necessary to choose between good and evil.

Bibliography

The Apologia, Socrates
Legend of the Grand Inquisitor;
excerpted from The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky