h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That Daemon was a tricky fellow... er... muse. Whatever.

Besides, at least the man had vision. That's what you always hear about the greats, isn't it?

*Remembering the trial of Socrates* Those were good times, man. *tear*

--Cooper

Daemon... the only one I know by that name is a character in a book.. Elaborate on him, please. (I do this to you a lot, don't I?)
Shanana

I suppose now would be a good time to launch into the Monty Python Philosophers song, you guys need to know the lyrics yourselves already, I can't write them here or they'll get moderated for copyright reasons!!


After four....



Bassman

Daemon... the voice that told Socrates what to do. At his trial, Daemon was used against him: he had "spread false gods."

I see. So, Socrates was schizophrenic?? How lovely... So we entrust his philisophies and those of his egomaniac follower and assume that they were terribly wise??

Shanana

All the good ones are crazy.

so that means I should be the ultimate philosopher, then. Right? So if I said we're all bananas, would I be right??

Shanana

Just because you are scitzofrenic, it doesn't mean you are talking crap. I know people in mensa who are scizophenic, and as long as you don't hit their blindspots, they are much cleverer than most of us. but then, most of us don't react well it our blindspots are hit either.

I thought Socrates' habit of asking awkward questions and refusal to accept received wisdom was what got him into trouble...you can get people to do lots of things..but get em to think?boy have you got trouble...founder member of the awkward
squad, Socrates...he definitely had to go....if he'd been around today,what price Jeremy Paxman?
JTL

Posing those questions was what got him on people's bad sides.

What got him in trouble was Daemon telling him not to arrest his friends (at the time the Athenian state had citizens arrest each other to spread out the blame). He went home instead.

At the trial, he was formally accused of corrupting the youth of the city (he turned a good number of them into drunkards and many more into rebellious snipes) and introducing false gods.

For a general overview of that portion of Greek history (or any ancient history, for that matter), I suggest Larry Gonick's "Cartoon History of the Universe".

--Cooper

So ya'll are saying we AREN'T bananas, then?

Shanana

Well some of us are.

I prefer to be a kiwi myself. Maybe a tangelo. I donno.

--Cooper

Well, now that ya'll have shot down my most fundamental belief.... How about whether or not we're all even real?

Shanana

PS I'm happy!!! I just saw the Star Trek episode with Khan!!!

There is no spoon. There is no Matrix, for that matter. I hope.

-Twinkle
(Wow! the first time I've managed to actually drift a topic!)

Wake up Twinkle_

The Matrix has you_

Ha! Now you're just making us paranoid....

Where were we in the topic...??

Ah! Yes.... Um... Pears???

Shanana

You know, Twinkle, I just noticed, you ARE right. It WAS your fault that we got off on this tangent. So, back to the original thread... Who were we deeming foolish??

Shanana

Socrates whole purpose for the saying was to teach people that they must question everything. Saying that the only true knowledge is the knowledge that you know nothing is saying that nothing is set in stone. You see mankind is always stuck on the concept that it knows something. For example at one time everybody knew that the earth was flat and people knew that the moon was made out of cheese. But modern science has disproved these things that people knew to be true. If you don't question everything that you or the populace believes than new things will not be discovered and mankind will stagnate. Well that's at least what I think he meant. I don't know he could have just been on some kind of drug and came up with something he thought sounded good.

I presume you're new, so I'll say WELCOME!!!! I'm Shanana,and I'm the local pathetic fool.

Personally, I think Socrates must have been simply a Greek malcontent, and so chose a pupil perfectly, so he could screw with the future of the world. Either that, or he was clarvoiant.

Shanana

well first of all add my welcome to shanana's!I'm still a newby myself......
secondly,I'll vote for you , researcher! I think that if Socrates and folk like him..been one or two more since... hadnt encouraged folk to ask questions,no-one would challenge the status quo and nothing would have changed.Ever.Any time anyone suggested doing anything differently the reply would be "but thats how we've always done it";and if this prompted the response "yes,but is it the >best< way...then,oops.watch out....
Of course people like socrates get labelled malcontents,but that goes with the territory.He described himself as a gnat stinging the horse of State into action when it'd gone to sleep........unfortunately he got swatted!
But in my book he's one of the top men!