Seneca, On Peace of Mind 5.3

However, Athens herself put him to death in prison, and Freedom herself could not endure the freedom of one who had treated a whole band of tyrants with scorn.

You may know, therefore, that even in an oppressed state a wise man can find an opportunity for bringing himself to the front, and that in a prosperous and flourishing one wanton insolence, jealousy, and a thousand other cowardly vices bear sway.

I am deeply wary of deifying any man, and I have no interest in turning my heroes into saints. I will leave it to God to decide who the real saints are.

I have no illusions that Socrates was somehow perfect, and I am sure he had as many weaknesses as the rest of us. I imagine that he could be an annoying man; in the language of our day and age, he was probably quite offensive and inappropriate. I know that feeling, when someone has asked me to think for myself, to move beyond popular assumptions and shallow platitudes, and how deeply that can damage my vanity and the illusion of my power. There was a reason Socrates was like a gadfly.

The frustrations ran so deep that the Athenians put him to death. This ends the discussion for most, because death is perceived as one the greatest evils. So we neglect one of the most important lessons Socrates tried to teach, the necessity of thinking critically about what we really mean by “good” and “bad”. Show me what you will sacrifice anything else for, and I will see what you truly love, and who you really are.

When I look at Socrates, I see a man who not only understood that living well required thinking well, but also a man who was brave enough to then put into practice all he had learned about wisdom and virtue as the highest goods. In this, he is more than just some imposing historical figure, and becomes rather a model for anyone, anyone at all, who wishes to become genuinely human.

And yes, I do really mean for any of us, regardless of whatever fortune may have thrown our way. It requires only the humility and honesty to reflect upon our own nature, and then the courage and commitment to follow an informed conscience. What Socrates did, all people can do. No special powers are required, only a love of character. Any person who does this has now been of service.

So what can the life of Socrates ultimately teach Serenus? First, that a good man, under all circumstances, can always find the opportunity to live well. Second, by extension, don’t be fooled by the false idols of status and wealth, because the love of such things will so easily turn us into charlatans and hypocrites. Adding anything glorious on the outside can never cover up a rot on the inside.

I don’t know if Socrates had to die the way he did, but I do know that he had to live the way he did, and that he was willing to face misfortune and death for the sake of a good life.

“Oh, if only I could live like a Socrates!”

“What’s stopping you?” 

Written in 8/2011

IMAGE: Luca Giordano, Socrates (c.  1660)