Final answer:
Socrates's best witness, according to his defense during his trial, was the divine inspiration or god that motivated him to lead a life of philosophical inquiry. This divine guidance took form as an inner voice or daemon, which directed him towards virtue and truth and away from wrongdoing.
Step-by-step explanation:
You asked what Socrates tells the court his best witness is during his trial. Socrates considered the god that inspired him to live a philosophical life as his best witness. In his defense, Socrates explains that his philosophical method, which involves questioning the assumed wisdom of prominent Athenian citizens, was an instruction from the divine. He mentions an inner voice or daemon that would warn him away from wrongdoing. This divine witness, in Socrates's eyes, justified his way of life and dedication to philosophy which, unfortunately, led to his trial and eventual sentencing to death.
Socrates also clarifies that he never took money for his teachings, unlike the Sophists, and remained true to his principles even in the face of death. He was staunch in his role as a seeker after wisdom and dedicated to questioning others about truth and virtue, actions he believed were aligned with divine will. Through his defense speech recorded in Plato's Apology, we understand that Socrates's commitment to philosophy and the divine instruction he felt he received were central to his defense.