KnowledgeReform.com » Socrates

Learn From Man But Neither Worship Him Nor Allow Him To Enslave Your Mind – Part 1

Jason Cooper — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:13:56 +0000

Are we all too quick to worship and follow men who we have labeled as great?

Why is it such a big surprise to us when men, who are widely regarded as great, turn out to be a hypocrite, charlatan, or have so many skeletons in the closet you can hear them rattling a mile away? Why are we so shocked? Aren’t they human too despite the flattering opinions we wish to lavish on these godlike figures?

Admittedly, we can all sometimes become mesmerised and then attached to these shining examples of humanity, which can inadvertently make us forget about our own important role to play in life.

These legendary men, who in most cases take the moral high ground, can sometimes be found guilty of not practicing what they preach.

In a series of six posts, I will try to pull down the veil of perfection that protects 6 great thinkers in history, as I reveal their own, and perhaps unflattering, mortal afflictions.

To all Women looking for a Husband: Steer clear of any bald, pug-nosed men who go around speaking in riddles

Let’s now start this roster of knaves with ancient philosopher Socrates, as we take a humorous look at this wise but irresponsible of characters who has played such a pivotal role in encouraging us to embrace philosophy so that we can eventually know ourselves.

#1. Socrates

Who could blame Socrates's wife, Xanthippe, for being so fed up with her good for nothing husband that she poured water on his head? Well...I think it was water

The so-called father of philosophy was too lazy to write anything down and there isn’t too much in the way of information on Socrates’ life other than what we can garner from dodgy eyewitness accounts recorded in the writings of his star, and perhaps biased, disciples Plato and Xenophon.

Looking beneath the surface, however, revealed that old Socrates was somewhat negligent towards family duties. Socrates wasn’t a man you would exactly call a model husband or father, as on most days he left his apparently unfortunate wife Xanthippe to look after family matters on her lonesome.

The reason for Socrates’ apparent Houdini act, was that he was too busy searching for “Truth” on the streets of Athens, whereby he would choose to spend his time interrogating any citizen he thought held false beliefs and attitudes.

Admittedly, it has also been said that Socrates had the most tempestuous of wives and the most ungrateful of sons that would be enough to drive a saint to murder, or even into a gorgeous man’s strong arms (you will no doubt see the relation to Socrates later). So who could blame Socrates for wanting to bolt out of the house every morning to stay out until the late hours gossiping about life’s big questions with his half-naked pals down the local baths.

Socrates once said,

“Nothing can harm a good man, either in life or after death.”

Nothing may harm a good man, but I’m sure most women would cause serious harm to a bad husband by nagging him to death. So maybe Socrates was not as wise as Plato made him out to be – because if he were so wise, I’m sure he would have chosen to avoid much agro at home by pulling his weight from time to time - that’s what I’d have done to keep the missus sweet.

Another controversy that is never discussed was about Socrates’ sexuality – he use to surround himself with many attractive young men who admired and respected him for his wisdom and method of questioning. There are many dialogues in the books of Plato which seem to intimate Socrates having more than a feeling of friendship toward a certain handsome lad called Alcibiades.

So there’s a distinct possibility that Socrates was also in the closet regarding his sexual orientation. Personally, I don’t give a damn who the married Socrates was sleeping with, as long as the person he had eyes for (man or woman) was of consenting age – although, there isn’t any hard evidence (I know what you’re thinking, so get your mind out of the gutter) to suggest he ever acted upon his impulses and desires…yeah, right.

In the coming second post of a 6 part series, it will be the turn of another all-time great, Mahatma Gandhi, to step forward out of the lineup of featured felons.

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

Jason Cooper — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:50:45 +0000

The Thinker contemplates life's pertinent questions

Let me now introduce you to the first of six posts featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 1 of 6: Socrates on Self-Confidence

Exploring why so many of us go along with the crowd rather than stand up for what we believe in.

You may be also interested to know that this particular series was derived from the book The Consolations of Philosophy, which is a very good read, and was part responsible for encouraging me to pursue philosophy so that I could apply it to my life.

Watch the second video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 2) – Epicurus

Apply the Philosophy of Socrates Towards Improving Your Soul and Mind

Jason Cooper — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:11:26 +0000

A seated Socrates converses his philosophy to a Muse

In the post ‘Radical Thinking: What You Can Learn From the Timeless Philosophy of Socrates’ written by Tejvan Pettinger, we are provided with some wise advice on how we can use the most important components of the philosophy of Socrates, and apply his principles to positive affect in our daily lives.

Following is an excerpt from the aforementioned post,

During his lifetime Socrates wrote nothing down. Yet his wisdom has formed the bedrock of western philosophy. Socrates was viewed as a great teacher. But he did not claim to be a teacher. In fact, he frequently said ‘all I know is that I know nothing’. By all accounts Socrates was both poor and ugly. Yet in a society that placed tremendous value on beauty and wealth, people of all classes were magnetically drawn to his teachings and enigmatic personality.As he wrote nothing down, there is some dispute about what Socrates actually said. But, from the writings of Plato and others, we can gain a few glimpses into the character and ideals of this ancient sage and unique philosopher.

The Socratic Dialogue

Perhaps the most arresting feature of Socrates’ legacy is his unique method of teaching and arriving at the truth. Socrates didn’t claim the truth is this or the truth is that. He sought to question students in a way that would lead them to arrive at the truth themselves. Socrates frequently claimed to know nothing. Yet, if Socrates knew nothing, why were people so eager to hear him talk? The reason was that Socrates was able to make people reconsider their own ingrained ideas; Socrates had a way of making people think for themselves and consider truth from different angles.This method of conversation incurred the ire of some people; they were not happy that Socrates was able to show the limitations of their thinking. Yet, the genius of the Socratic method was that he never had to directly tell people their inadequacies; they came to realise it themselves.

Independence of Thought

One of Socrates most admired traits was that he did not follow popular opinion. He questioned every orthodox belief and decided independently if it was worth pursuing. Socrates looked at issues from both perspectives; he did not allow himself to be tied down by religious, political, or social conventions.This independence of thought and mind was particularly powerful given the forces of conformity predominant in Greek society. The importance he placed on independence of thought can be seen by his response to his trial and death. Socrates had numerous opportunities to flee; however, he didn’t wish to flee — he felt that escape would weaken his philosophic independence.Socrates was also non dogmatic; he had friends with both Oligarchs and Democrats. At the same time, he had enemies in both parties; Socrates would never moderate his words to curry favour with others.

Interest in the Welfare of Others?

Socrates spent most of his time wandering the streets of Athens, talking with people interested in discovering more about life. Socrates was a great teacher, because ironically he didn’t have an agenda to teach. He was not interested in imparting a certain dogma or attracting followers. He wanted people to think for themselves and consider the real nature of life and truth. As Socrates said to one student.”If you take my advice, you will give but little thought to Socrates but much more to the truth.” [1]Socrates was not just a great talker, but also a great listener. It is this balance which set him apart from ordinary teachers who want only to lecture others.

Please take the time to read the rest of Tejvan’s excellent and useful post ‘Radical Thinking: What You Can Learn From the Timeless Philosophy of Socrates’, as it offers some great Socratic advice for getting you started in improving yourselves in life.

Uses of Philosophy in Society: Choice Between Reason and Passion

Jason Cooper — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:18:07 +0000

The Battle between Reason and Passion

The Rafael painting (on the left) of Greek philosophers Plato (pointing up towards the sky) and his pupil, Aristotle (palm facing down towards the ground) seemingly depicts them debating what should govern Man’s affairs: either Plato’s heavenly passion of the Gods, or Aristotle’s earthly reason of science.

This battle of wise minds serves as an example that begins this post with an apparent conflict between reason and passion, as I ask the question to myself as to which of the two should be used towards benefiting us personally and society as a whole?

Philosophy, and Stoicism in particular, can be accused of being, at most part, emotionally cold and distant because of it’s aim for us to invoke the use of reason to override all human emotions. The elements of passion and reason have been opposing forces ever since the very beginnings of philosophy.

The Stoics seemed to think that passion should be avoided like the plague,

Stoicism holds that passion distorts truth, and that the pursuit of truth is virtuous.

Being a man of scientific observation, Aristotle also thought that reason alone should be embraced,

“The law is reason free from passion.”

~ Aristotle

Plato stood side by side with Aristotle against passion, although he did have, paradoxically, passion for worshipping the Gods,

“The passionate are like men standing on their heads; they see all things the wrong way”

~ Plato

Not to worry, passion had its advocates too,

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

~ Denis Diderot

“It’s the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion.”

~ Rebecca West

Did a Passionless Socrates influence the non-progressive Philosophy we have today?

In the following interesting yet educational video (which is in 6 parts), blogger, author and podcaster, Stefan Molyneux questions the beneficial qualities of “Philosophy” in general, and that despite it being around for thousand of years, it has not directly influenced people and the world for the better.

Stefan is somewhat disappointed with philosophy’s contribution to society, and feels that it has been at most part, simply ignored by all quarters as a progressive discipline when compared to Information Technology, Science and Economics.

Stefan also feels there is a case for philosophy to learn and adapt to changing times and combine the calming influence of reason with the driving force of passion, something which may give it more success in terms of energising the world towards wiser action in human affairs.

A couple of questions Stefan asks are, “Why has philosophy failed the world?” And, “Has philosophy simply not progressed because of its lack of passion?”

Two men who also agreed with Stefan are,

“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”

~ Benjamin Franklin

“Passion and prejudice govern the world, only under the name of reason.”

~ John Wesley

Stefan begins his quest by going back over 2000 years ago to an ancient Athens, as he points an accusing finger at a man on trial, and who is considered the father of philosophy – he sought truth through the use of reason to all he would question. That man was Plato’s Socrates…

Before you go, here are a few questions for you all:

1. Does philosophy serve any real purpose to society in the 21st century?

2. Is philosophy practically useless in guiding us all towards meaningful action, and eventually towards progress?

3. Was Socrates irresponsible for providing us with the seemingly passionless philosophy that we now have today?

4. What do you think should govern our lives for the better: reason, passion, or both? And why?

I would be very much interested in seeing what answers you all provide. Thanks.

Take Courage to Perform Wise Actions Against Fear – Part 3

Jason Cooper — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:23:13 +0000

This is a continuation of the “Take Courage to Perform Wise Actions Against Fear” series. The first post in the series can be found here.

Continuing on with my advice…

Some Homework to do for the rest of your life:

How do I apply what I have learned about myself towards dealing with certain fears or impediments of the mind?

The best way to go about dealing with inner issues is to deal with them one at a time with a clear mind. Once you get into the habit of self-observation as I advised you to do during the routine of attaining self-knowledge, you should learn to question every thought and emotion that affects your mind, so to determine if it is contradictory to your personal development in life.

This self-interrogation is similar to the method employed by Socrates to question people about their own opinions and beliefs.

Once false opinions or beliefs are determined they should be discarded immediately if you want to make progress towards “Truth”. The same philosophy can be used when dealing with negative feelings (false emotions such as fear) that can impinge on your state of mind.

Think seriously about the following questions and you will find the wisdom needed to destroy any of the fears listed:

1. Deep rooted/conditioned fears

Why should something that was painful to you then affect you now in the present?
What is the point in carrying this past event as a burden although it has long since past?
I understand that these fears are psychological and do not actually exist in my life at the present time, so why don’t I just liberate myself?

2. Fear of responsibility

Why do you think that you are not responsible for all your actions?
Why do you think that you are not responsible for the life and external situations you have created?
Why do you think that you are not responsible for the relationships that you have chosen to make?
You may be able run away from your responsibilities but can you indeed run away from yourself (conscience)?

3. Fear of people

What is it you fear about people?
Do you fear the actual person or the image of that person?
If it is the image, then why are you afraid of nothing more than an illusion?
Why do you continue to see and be afraid of psychological things that are different from you such as; race, colour, religion, physical appearance, title, position, status, authority?
Can you not destroy the image that your mind has built-up so to see nothing but a human being?
Am I indeed afraid of myself if I am afraid of another human being?

4. Fear of opinion

Why do words from other people dictate how you behave towards them?
Don’t you have an independent mind which should govern and make decisions for itself?
Should anything outside of your mind affect your personal judgements or how you see yourself as a person?
Why should I depend on people’s opinion to make me happy when I should depend on myself to to do just that?
Why can’t you stop being a slave to something that maybe false and liberate yourself to achieve anything in your power and that does not go against your nature?

5. Fear of failure or adversity

Why have anxiety over something that may or may not happen in the future affect you now in the present?
Why do you not realise in life there are ups and downs, but it matters most how you deal with them as and when they happen?
Why let the fear of failure or adversity stop you from wanting to take risks or to stop you achieving something worthwhile with your life?
Why do you not see that if things such as failure or adversity arrive, then you’re still alive to become stronger despite them, and to carry on with the rest of your life regardless.

There is a superhero hidden inside all of us

Once you acquire the knowledge to beat your fears you can then go on to have the motivation to work towards personal development, personal growth and practical wisdom, that will benefit you in your life immensely.

Final courageous words from the man himself

Let me now share with you this last statement from Socrates that may inspire you to develop the awareness, courage, self-knowledge and wisdom to face and overcome all obstacles:

“So long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet … And so gentlemen … whether you acquit me or not, you know that I am not going to alter my conduct, not even if I have to die a hundred deaths.”

~ Socrates, 399 BC, in The Last Days of Socrates by Plato

Click here to read Part 4

Take Courage to Perform Wise Actions Against Fear – Part 2

Jason Cooper — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:24:11 +0000

This is a continuation of the “Take Courage to Perform Wise Actions Against Fear” series. The first post in the series can be found here.

Continuing on with my advice…

So what happens after one has struck up the courage to face their fears?

Having the courage to live is one thing, but having the self-knowledge to become aware and deal with any negative emotions before they take root is another matter altogether. Believe me, it will take great strength of mind and spirit to enter into this war, and there can be no overnight success.

However, you can take great confidence in knowing that it isn’t impossible to develop the self-knowledge and power within yourself to break down the psychological barriers in time (we don’t have that much time to be honest). After all, you must begin the campaign by empowering yourself psychologically and spiritually towards becoming a god of yourself – you are both master and creator of your kingdom, in mind as well as in spirit.

“He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy.”

~ Socrates

What wise actions can be performed to deal with my fears?

Be aware, that the fears I am talking about here are the irrational ones created by your own mind, and not the natural instinctual fear which we all have as a self-defense mechanism.

Now, if you are expecting an easy guidebook to “100 wise steps to getting rid of your fear” in this post, you are sadly mistaken. You may or may not be surprised to hear me say that the greatest tool of wisdom that can help you in your life is yourself. As Socrates once said,

“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”

So, Socrates is not the only one that could attain wisdom, although he like others of his ilk can be used as an shining example for us to learn from, and once again he said,

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.”

How do I go about attaining self-knowledge so that I can deal with my fears and other negative things that can affect my mind?

Learn about yourself by following this daily routine:

be open minded and non-judgmental
become both observant and objective of yourself and others
learn about yourself daily by becoming aware of your behavior and to understand why you react in certain ways to different situations
Find time to be on your own so you can reflect and question yourself on life and any present obstacle in your mind
be independent of mind when making decisions and do not be influenced by people or opinion which may turn out to be false or go against your nature
develop the use of reason and rationality when dealing with problems within yourself and with others
learn to understand that “you are truth”, where most things outside of yourself are illusory and superficial, and should not affect your true purpose in life
learn to understand that “you are god” and have the power to overcome and achieve anything in life - nothing outside of yourself should enslave your mind

The routine above should put you on the road towards becoming wiser, although according to Socrates one can never be too wise because one is also ignorant and must continue throughout life to learn about oneself.

“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”

~ Socrates

Click here to read Part 3