Exploring the crazy realities of our beloved philosopher!

Unlike most of the philosophers before him, Socrates (469 – 399 B.C.), known to be one of the founders of Western Philosophy, was always interested in how people should behave rather than establishing how the world works. Born and brought up in a family of humble and not-so-noble background in Athens, the philosopher aided the development of philosophical fields like Ethics, Epistemology (study of philosophical knowledge and understanding) and Logic, and ardently believed that “knowledge should be pursued for its own sake, even if one could never fully possess it”. Plato (of a noble birth) went on to become the most renowned of Socrates’ students, who in turn had Aristotle as one of his pupils. It is on the basis of Plato’s records that we present to you 6 strange facts about the philosophical genius:

#6. Socrates: the Ugly Man

Fortunately or unfortunately, Socrates never benefitted from the Greek culture of approbating male beauty, for he was known to be incredibly ugly. His eyes bulged out of his head and were focused sideways instead of straight. He was snub-nose, thus resembled a pig, and he may have had a potbelly. This “ghastly” appearance, however, never really bothered Socrates. In fact, he often discarded the concept of beauty so much that he rarely changed into washed cloaks and new sandals, making him even more unappealing to the Athenians’ eyes.

#5. Socrates: the Vocal Believer

Socrates never wrote or documented a word of his teachings! He never committed any of his ideas to the written word and rather believed in living simply by pondering upon thoughts on a daily basis. Thus, much of his teachings are derived from the works and documentations of Plato.

#4. Socrates: the Soldier

That’s right; this philosophical proponent of justice and peace fought wars as a soldier! In addition to foundational education, Socrates was given an advanced cultural education in poetry, music, and athletics, in which he was quite proficient. He practiced compulsory military service and fought valiantly during his time in the Athenian military. This included the battle of Potidaea, battle of Amphipolis and the Peloponnesian War with Sparta, while also helping save the life of Alcibiades, the famous Athenian general. Despite his service, many Athenians criticized him of threatening their democracy and it is this suspicion that added to his conviction, which brings us to our next fact.

#3. Socrates: the Democrat?

At the age of 70, Socrates was sentenced to death on the charges of impiety and corruption of youth. One major reason behind this conviction was the suspicion of many that he was a threat to the Athenian Democracy with the suspicion primarily based on the fact that a lot of his associates were oligarchs and rebels. However, a lot of instances point in the other direction:

The fact that he diligently performed his military service implies that he was an active supporter of democracy. Just as he had followers who turned into oligarchs, many supporters of democracy were also his disciples. When he was ordered by the briefly-established oligarchy in Athens to help find the democratic general Leon for execution, he refused to do so. This suggests his commitment to the ideals of democracy. Socrates also once refused to flee imprisonment, stating that he always lived with an implied agreement with the laws of the democracy.

Strong evidences like these were among the reasons why the accusation of him being a threat to democracy was not strong enough to convict him, and thus, the Athenians opted for religious grounds instead to cause his death. What were these grounds exactly? Find out below.

#2. Socrates: the Religious Defiant

As recounted by Diogenes Laertius, the charge of impiety against Socrates stated that “Socrates does criminal wrong by not recognizing the gods that the city recognizes, and furthermore by introducing new divinities; and he also does criminal wrong by corrupting the youth”. The last statement implied that Socrates spread and taught his objectionable views to others, which he denied by famously claiming that he has no wisdom to teach and that he cannot be held responsible for the actions of those that heard him speak. Athens was a polytheistic society– where the Gods did not create the world but were themselves created, which meant they were often depicted as power-hungry super-beings that often meddled with societal affairs. This made all people fear such gods and follow rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

Socrates, however, believed the divine to be eternally benevolent, authoritative, rational and wise. This threatened to remove the instilled fear and thus make all rituals and sacrifices useless. Although such myths were often questioned by other philosophers too, Socrates’ belief in a divinity unfamiliar to anyone in Athens, called daimon, is what caused him being accused of impiety as he took “private instructions from a deity that was unlicensed by Athens”, making it objectionable to the citizens. Socrates was thus sentenced to capital punishment.

#1. Socrates: the Lover of “Man”kind

Socrates was openly bisexual. Although he was married to a woman, Socrates openly admitted to being physically attracted by young men. However, he often prioritized his affinity towards their refined souls rather than his affinity for their physical self. Socrates was also known to be in love with Alcibiades, the aforementioned Athenian general.

These 6 strange and shocking facts not only tell one more about why and how Socratic theories were developed but also depict how intricate peculiarities in the personal life of even a man as philosophically sound as Socrates can greatly impact matters of life and death in this strange, strange world. Thus, I believe it’s indeed best to believe in our own Socrates when he says- “true knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing”!