This detailed study of the lives and teachings of Confucius and Socrates compares how and what they taught in order to help others to become wiser. The appendix includes English translations of ancient texts describing their teaching in action.
I start this post with a relevant question: Can one confidently say that with the increase of scientific and technological knowledge we are getting closer to wisdom?
As Bertrand Russell writes in his short essay Knowledge and Wisdom, purposeful knowledge without the prudence of wisdom can lead, inadvertently, toward a final, and perhaps not desired, outcome that one can call ‘evil’.
Russell further states that if we as a progressive world wish to avoid evil actions because of our thirst for knowledge, we would do well to also impart the teaching of wisdom, and to encourage everyone to embrace open-mindedness and impartiality in their use of this knowledge.
As much as I love Socrates (c. 469 BC–399 BC) (as attributed by the amount of posts here on the man) and his use of the dialectic method for discovering truth, I have been most guilty of bestowing upon him the grand title of being the “Father of Philosophy” (well, I think most historians have done the same).
But, alas, I must now humbly admit that I may have been a tad hasty in paying the old fellah that somewhat prestigious compliment (I still think Socrates was a legend though).
As was once said about the subsequent birth of a man who seemingly wrests from Socrates’ grasp the aforementioned patriarchal title:
WHILE Mnesarchus, the father of Pythagoras, was in the city of Delphi on matters pertaining to his business as a merchant, he and his wife, Parthenis, decided to consult the oracle of Delphi as to whether the Fates were favorable for their return voyage to Syria. When the Pythoness (prophetess of Apollo) seated herself on the golden tripod over the yawning vent of the oracle, she did not answer the question they had asked, but told Mnesarchus that his wife was then with child and would give birth to a son who was destined to surpass all men in beauty and wisdom, and who throughout the course of his life would contribute much to the benefit of mankind.
~ Manly P. Hall, ‘The Secret Teachings of All Ages’
Plato’s “Republic” is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy. Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge? “The Republic” also addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as ‘guardians’ of the people. With remarkable lucidity and deft use of allegory, Plato arrives at a depiction of a state bound by harmony and ruled by ‘philosopher kings’.
With the recent political unrest in the Middle East and with the media’s attempts to demonise supposed tyrannical leaders in the shape of Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Muammar Gaddafi (Libya) and Bashar al-Assad (Syria), one cannot fail to notice that the general populace seems to be constantly bombarded with propaganda, as American, British, French and Israeli air power continue to drop their murderous payloads on innocent human beings of Arabic descent.
However, this media attention (euphemism for propaganda) that is presently focused on Arabic countries can be said to serve a purpose of giving consent for Western Governments (mainly US, UK, France) to satisfy their pretext to go to war so to save the people from these most terrible of men.
Could it be true that we are being told lies by a media which are complicit with government foreign policy of securing precious and profitable resources (obviously oil) at the expense of the very people they swear to protect?
