Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

On Socrates

It was with great excitement I read the article “Socrates — a man for our times” (Oct. 19). He has been a hero to me ever since I read a play Socrates by P.J. Antony, the legendary theatre artist of Kerala. Socrates' philosophy is relevant to any society at any age. The article should serve as a reminder that it is the basic questions we need to answer before we try to find answers for the complex ones. Socrates kept his questions and conversations with his disciples simple. Yet his philosophy was as important as any that we know of.

I read that part of the article which says Socrates became a scapegoat for Athens' disappointment with astonishment. What we learn from history textbooks is that Socrates was sentenced to state-sponsored suicide for his contempt of traditional gods and for corrupting the young. But what we do not see immediately is that he was able to carry out his teachings without much hassle for almost half-a-century. There is nothing more true than the statement “A confident society can ask questions of itself; when it is fragile, it fears them.”

Rajagopal Krishnan,

Bangalore

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

The Headley saga
French resistance
Celebrating India's moon moment
‘Kudumbashree' dominates Kerala local polls
Somalia: Islamists hack limbs off to keep order
TED prize goes to JR, who gives slums a human face
U.S. judge wants clarification on polar bear status
Kasab's tantrums
CWG scam
Chile rescue
Archbishop interview
On Socrates

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu