The First Moral Philosopher deemed as The Gadfly of Athens

Originally Published March 28, 2022

Way back in 469 BC, Socrates was born. Before we jump into his bio, all of the sources that proved his existence was secondhand. So was he a fictional creation? That’s what we call the Socratic Problem. That might differ but it does not detract his story. Although he has written zero books, his most popular student, Plato, made him a star through compositions. Plato would later teach Aristotle who would tutor Alexander The Great. Xenophon, Diogenes, and Aristophanes also wrote a lot about Socrates and how he lived vigorously. This didn't mean a life packed with power, money, or fame. It meant an ethically good life: the life of someone who is courageous, temperate, pious, and just; above all, someone who is wise.

Socrates was a nonconformist who thought deeply of deep thought. He was easily known as critical, skeptical, and reasoning. He despised characters that are mainly scaffolded by their possessions, reputation, and honors—saying that our true selves are our souls which influence our thinking and will, not our social status or belongings. We should stop seeking the approval of others by deceiving and lying rather than shaping our characters. Don't be who you are not or you will be a lost cause.

Noblemen who were vocal critics of their own political systems can be considered Socratic followers; one of them is Martin Luther King Jr. Socrates taught that if you do not educate the people, democracy does not work as we tend to listen to opinions whether they are well thought out or not. Voting should be taught well as well as the education that surrounds it. He believed that the popular vote is not always the truth. A society that is under the weather may lead to the election of tyrants by false beliefs spread by the powerful. As the saying goes, “Evil is the fruit of ignorance.” We should care about the truth and not lie or stay silent to protect crooked people in power. Being Socratic is the opposite of Dogmatism or Fanaticism. A battle between truth and power. False beliefs influence our actions so avoid unexamined assumptions.

Socrates loathed lectures by asking too many questions; this was later called The Socratic Seminar—a methodical questioning, philosophical inquiry, and claims examination. It usually starts with a dialogue that aims to interrogate the knowledge of someone. He believes that real education is when questions are answered and when answers are found. A learning experience to learn from failures, not just successes. This will help students clarify their own ideas but of course, biases have to be cleared first to end up with the validity of each belief. Once ignorance is accepted, the possibility is endless. Participants have to listen to their conscience until it is truly right whereby knowledge is not provided, just the wrong thoughts being taken away. You don't get it from the outside, the answer has come from you.

These cross-examinations resulted in Athenians hating him. Accusing that he opened new ideas and perspectives that debunk their prejudice and superstition. This method, on the other hand, is a didactic dialogue, not rhetoric or a debate as they do not deceive each other but help each other for the truth. It is a meta-cognitive of not just arguing but seeing the points of both parties. To this day, it is being adopted in parts of Astronomy, Botany, Legal Education, and Logotherapy providing unforeseen hypothetical questions. As when the teacher steps away, everyone is left with their contemplations and thinks about them independently. This also inspired challenging hypotheses in science also known as Elenchus or Intellectual Midwifery. Being a devil's advocate to think critically. Remember, it is not about winning an argument but about finding knowledge and truth.

As common as every visionary’s fate, his boundless questioning didn’t leave without a trace. He was singled out and ridiculed—being sentenced to death as he chose to die for his principles. He wooed that vengeance is unjust. It will just harm the doer more than the victim. Nevertheless, you don't have to sink down to their level. They may get to live with their own corruption, but they have put themselves in vain thinking that they will escape the Socratic way of questioning. 24 centuries later, he is still a testament that killing will not prevent anyone from not living correctly. Death is only skin deep. When asked about his roots, he said that he was not from Athens but from the world. A tenet that speaks not just to his origin but to all of humanity.

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