When we study ancient history, the first reference we make in mind is where it lies on the dimension of time. If the pre-Socratic thinkers (like Democritus, et. al.) were only a century before Socrates came on the scene, then that is an extremely short period of time of change in how we perceive the cosmos and gain knowledge. This is a major paradigmatic shift for mankind. It doesn’t even compare to the shifts between any of the last four centuries--and we speak of them as the greatest changes in history. Socrates is not condescending, he realizes this importance of this major shift and that we must keep it in my mind with our contemporaries. This is quite insightful. 😊
What a great way to start Monday morning! I particularly appreciated the historical context you gave, Massimo, because until that point, I was wondering "why is Socrates making such a big deal about rhapsodes and poets, and whether they are interpreters of interpreters?". The "new kid on the block" explanation and the distinction between the Pre-Socratics' natural philosophy vs. the "theology" of Hesiod and the like illuminates the differences.
However, this raises a more important question, at least to me: how can I go about reading "The Republic" without having read a primer on Greek history/philosophy prior to so doing? Surely there will be many meanings I will miss, such as this case, because I didn't make a connection to the historic background. In college, I was required to take 3 philosophy classes, and in 1 of them our professor had us read and discussion dialogues from "The Republic", and in one class I recall him saying "you simply have to sit down and just start reading it; jump right in!"
I wonder about your thoughts on my question and my professor's suggestion.
When we study ancient history, the first reference we make in mind is where it lies on the dimension of time. If the pre-Socratic thinkers (like Democritus, et. al.) were only a century before Socrates came on the scene, then that is an extremely short period of time of change in how we perceive the cosmos and gain knowledge. This is a major paradigmatic shift for mankind. It doesn’t even compare to the shifts between any of the last four centuries--and we speak of them as the greatest changes in history. Socrates is not condescending, he realizes this importance of this major shift and that we must keep it in my mind with our contemporaries. This is quite insightful. 😊
What a great way to start Monday morning! I particularly appreciated the historical context you gave, Massimo, because until that point, I was wondering "why is Socrates making such a big deal about rhapsodes and poets, and whether they are interpreters of interpreters?". The "new kid on the block" explanation and the distinction between the Pre-Socratics' natural philosophy vs. the "theology" of Hesiod and the like illuminates the differences.
However, this raises a more important question, at least to me: how can I go about reading "The Republic" without having read a primer on Greek history/philosophy prior to so doing? Surely there will be many meanings I will miss, such as this case, because I didn't make a connection to the historic background. In college, I was required to take 3 philosophy classes, and in 1 of them our professor had us read and discussion dialogues from "The Republic", and in one class I recall him saying "you simply have to sit down and just start reading it; jump right in!"
I wonder about your thoughts on my question and my professor's suggestion.