Socrates and the Eros of Philosophy
Erotic wisdom
More Than A Prologue
Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that the Western philosophical tradition is a “series of footnotes to Plato.”
If that’s true, then Socrates could be its inspirational prologue.
Yet, I’d suggest that Socrates’ contribution to philosophy is much more than that — despite his dual treatment in the halls of academia…
On the one hand, freshmen philosophy students throughout the world are regaled with tales of Socrates’ intellectual heroism. They’re inspired by his example of challenging authority and speaking truth to power — even if he never took the time to write down those criticisms.
On the other hand, professional philosophers — the same ones recounting Socrates’ exploits to their students — seem utterly content to leave these stories to the classroom, often sweeping Socrates under the rug in their own scholarship in favor of thinkers who committed their ideas to the page.
A correlate to Bacon’s famous dictum about the difference between a little philosophy and depth in philosophy would be apt in this regard… for it seems that while a little philosophy inclines us to admire and imitate Socrates, depth in philosophy brings us to neglect or reject him.
