The Philosophers of Old

Oh, how I desire to sit with the philosophers of old and hear their witty banter. I long to live vicariously through their intelligent minds, to watch with wonder as pages of knowledge turn behind their eyes. To lap at the understanding that puddles at their feet. Impart into me raw bouts of wisdom I ask, so that they may ignite an eternal flame in my heart, one to guide me through uncertainty and darkness, into the depths of the unknown without fear, but instead, with a profound curiosity for the light that lies beyond. 

They toy with the bounds of reality and grind their ideals against the sands of time until they are polished to perfection. No fissures to be seen. They glean and glisten in the eyes of the ignorant, standing strong as the pillars of mankind and the backbone to the infrastructure which holds our understanding of the world as we know it. If only they could read my words and know my thoughts and opinions. If only I could walk where they walked, learn where they learned. Oh, to be enveloped in their approval and hailed as one of their own. I wish, I wish, I wish. 

With an intensity as great as the sun above us, I aim to follow in their footsteps, eager to match the minds of these philosophical men, with an ultimate goal of surpassing them entirely. If I seek to think as they do, and only that, I do not value growth in its entirety. If I seek to surpass them, I embrace growth to the fullest. 

Socrates and Thrasymachus debate about whether or not justice or injustice is more profitable. Thrasymachus believes that the unjust are privy to a much more successful life due to the fact that they have no morals or values to limit or hinder their “climb to the top.” Socrates disagrees. He believes that because of the morals and values that the just carry, their “assent to success” is done with much more pride and pleasure because they have standards that earn them respect and inevitably success. Throughout the argument, I noticed that Socrates doesn’t try to belittle Thrasymachus to get him to convert his ideals, he simply feeds into the very thing that Thrasymachus displays without fail: pride. Socrates feeds his ego through recognition of his wisdom and great mind somewhat belittling himself in the process in order to gain the time and interest he wants from him to overall conclude the argument and prove himself right. He does this through provocative and double-sided questioning that brings out a subtle frustration in Thrasymachus that forces him to reitterate his point time and time again until the last leg of the argument when Socrates forms an alignance with another philosopher from the group with the intent of throwing Thrasymachus’ words back at him from a different viewpoint, challenging each statement with avid intent.

In conclusion, Thrasymachus blushes with embarrassment at the close of the argument having come to the realization that Socrates had been right all along, he had just been too stubborn and prideful to see it. 

Both men are brilliant in their own ways. Both hold ideals and concepts that we as a society still use to this day. The Greek philosophers of old will forever have my admiration and acceptance. Their wisdom is truly the foundation of todays world.