In The Apology of Socrates, one of the cornerstones of basically every aspect of Western culture, Plato recounts the speech that Socrates gave in defense of himself at his trial for corrupting the youth and worshipping the wrong gods, which took place in 399 BC. It’s a banger of a speech, but one of the most noteworthy passages comes toward the end:
“Perhaps someone might say: But Socrates, if you leave us will you not be able to live quietly, without talking? Now this is the most difficult point on which to convince some of you. If I say that it is impossible for me to keep quiet because that means disobeying the god, you will not believe me and will think I am being ironical. On the other hand, if I say that it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for man, you will believe me even less.” (Italics mine, for reasons that should soon become obvious.)
Read Full Article »