An Apology?

Our Anglo-American friend over at The Fifth Estate has labeled me as one "who argues like Plato." While I accept the tag as a compliment, I do wish to correct the error of perception.

Much of Plato's design was to use Socrates and his Method in various analogies as a way of castigating the Athenian Democracy for their condemnation of Socrates for the crime of "corrupting the youth of Athens." This comes out very clearly in The Republic, where we see Plato advocating (it would seem) the creation of a very undemocratic City. Much academic work has been concluded on the matter, and it seems clear that Plato's rancour towards the demos is based largely on the anger he felt toward them for the way they treated Socrates.

I accept this interpretation, but I also very much enjoy reading and re-reading The Republic, as I find it a continuing source of wonder through the very power of the emotion that underscores the entire dialectic. I also see the value Plato places on the existence of an educated elite - although I might disagree with him that this elite should always rule as Philosopher-Kings.

But, back to the point; I refer to myself as a Platonist because I accept to a varying degree the idea of virtue, the forms, and intellectual rigour. In reality however, I am actually a devotee of Socrates and his Method (propagated largely, but not entirely, by Plato).

If we examine how Socrates lived his life, we see this:

He went around pissing people off.

Always questioning, hectoring, lecturing, teasing, and puncturing the conventional and unconventional (il)logic of the day. It eventually lead to his demise at the hands of the very people he was trying to enlighten.

Given the customs and practices of the times, Socrates could have fled Athens after the Verdict condemning him. He chose to stay and face his accusers and the jury. During his whole lifetime, Socrates could have left Athens and sought refuge in another City-State.

Why did he stay then? Well, the answer is clear to me. For all of its faults, Athens was the one City-State with a rough commitment to liberty - as it was then conceived. He certainly would have been put to death very early in the game, had he chosen to live in, say, Sparta.

Socrates chose to live and die in Athens. That in no way mitigates his desire to make Athens a better place. That in no way dilutes his desire to educate the Athenian youth. That in no way tempers his impatience with rhetoric and sophistry.

By accepting his fate at the hands of the demos, Socrates at one and the same time condemns their stupidity and laziness and exalts the ideals and hope that is Athens. In the end, Athens stands as the last, best hope for mankind. That the last, best of hope of mankind condemns the greatest Athenian of them all, is an irony lost on the demos, but not to those who know and remember Socrates great maxim:

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

And it is in that spirit that that I choose to live my life.

It is because of this fundamental commitment that I have come to reject cant, hypocrisy, and political parties. It helps me reject the bullshit and blather of both the Left and the Right. It assists me in seeing that Big Business and Big Labour are both part of the problem. It has afforded me the freedom to condemn ideology - the falsest of all gods.

And for all this, I wander around the blogosphere pissing people off.

Except, I would rather term it "making them think."

Or - come to think. Or - open their eyes. Or - realise.

Some get it. Most don't. Kind of like ancient Athens, don't you think?

Now you know. Or do you?