Socrates
As opposed to Andrew Carnegie and John Stewart Mill, Socrates had neither riches nor letters; it could be argued that he despised both. He was a simple stone cutter by trade, taking up most of his productive hours. In his free time however, Socrates founded western thought. He did this simply and honestly, learning his education as he did it. All he did was talk to people. He would go about the city making friends as opportunity and caprice would offer and he would converse with them on topics ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary: from laughing about the latest festival to pondering the secrets of the soul after death. This combined with his active introspection is what helped Socrates become great.
Eventually, Socrates entered the ranks of the famous and became on of the celebrities that defined Athenian social life. He was a maven who knew everybody and everybody knew him. While this influence did win him renown, it would also eventually lead to his death because he would not flatter the powerful ignorant. Fortunately before his unjust execution by poison, Socrates was able to have enough clout in the eyes of the honest that students such as Plato and Aristotle were able to carry on his legacy beyond the reach of the corruption for a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment