How does one become a philosopher, perhaps a Socrates? Emerson gives us a hint: ‘In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him; and in that I am his pupil.’ Potential philosophers, searcher and seekers of wisdom, are open to the teacher showing up, then are discerning of the teacher when he or she appears, and then pays attention to them when they ‘speak.’ I also have a sense that the student needs to have either the seeds or the young roots residing within seeking to be nurtured into their full potential by the teacher’s words, actions, care, challenges, invitations, and support (to name a few ways that the teacher helps nurture the ‘seeds’ into life and support the young roots so that they might become major tap roots that feed and sustain the soul, heart and mind of the student). Ironically, most of us have had the same or similar experiences of the teacher; the difference — they took full advantage of them and we, living our divided and distracted lives, might not even have noticed them. [AN ASIDE: I am thinking of Buckminster Fuller – whose creative genius continues to awe many today. In an interview he was asked how he was able to come up with so many creative and life-changing ideas. He replied that it was simple. Each day he would emerge 100 new ideas and then he would choose the one or two that were the most creative and then he would engage them. Simple enough!]
Socrates also provided us a hint (one of many, actually) in ‘The Apology’ when he said to his friend, Crito: ‘Do you then be reasonable and do not mind whether the teachers of philosophy are good or bad, but think only of Philosophy herself. Try to examine her well and truly; and if she be evil, seek to turn away all men from her; but if she be what I believe she is, then follow her and serve her, and be of good cheer.’
I want to introduce us to Socrates, perhaps the greatest of the great philosophers; but I have this niggle nudging me – Context. Socrates was a real human being and he lived for a certain number of years and he taught in a certain city-state and this city-state was located in a certain place (now called a country). The ‘Context’ also helps keep me grounded as I search and seek to come to understand Socrates more fully. So, gentle reader, I am going to provide you some context for our teacher Socrates; this will take at least two if not three postings [as far as I can determine sitting here this morning]. So, let us continue:
SOCRATES – THE CONTEXT, PART I
When I take the time to look at a map of Europe, and I look closely, I observe that Socrates’ homeland, Greece, is a skeleton-like hand stretching its crooked fingers out into the great sea, the Mediterranean. South of Greece lies the magnificent island of Crete from which those grasping fingers caught and held onto the beginnings of civilization and culture [this was two thousand years before the birth of Jesus]. To Greece’s east, across a ‘lesser sea,’ the Aegean, lies Asia Minor. It was ‘the center of civilization’ during Socrates’ time [and for centuries before]. To Greece’s west resided Italy, Sicily and Spain – each had young and thriving Greek colonies. At the ‘far end of the world’ stood the ‘Pillars of Hercules’ (which we now call Gibraltar); the ‘Pillars’ were that portal through which few passed during this time period. North of Greece there was Thessaly and Epirus and Macedonia – untamed and half-barbaric regions; these uncivilized regions would be the parents of Homeric and Periclean Greece [most of us have heard of Homer and it might serve us well to seek out Pericles and his contribution].
Now I pause. Then I look again at the map; I look closer this time…