Please do not continue to endanger yourself in this manner! Although I believe you have surpassed so many philosopher's of the past, I fear you may suffer the fate of Socrates if you aren't more prudent with your teachings around the ignorant masses.
Faithfully,
Apprentice S[arah Louise]
The above admonition is in response a recent post [Vide]. I believe that it is necessary for the Gentle Reader's benefit to reiterate Socrates' ignorance, teaching and fate. Socrates was famous for asking questions of supposed learned men, only to discover that all these men were capable of was relating long held opinions, citing personal beliefs or pleading with disappointing and vague examples. Socrates was never satisfied with these mundane answers and continued in his unfruitful search for men who were wiser than he.
The charges against Socrates were, in no particular order, that he denied the gods, created new gods and corrupted the youth. The general impression from the allegations is that Socrates spent the entirety of his waking hours with these three objectives in mind, while ignoring the reality that much of his efforts were towards maintaining the status quo, which, by necessity, must include using rhetoric to support or defend the current state sponsored gods and the enforcement of the ideals that attract gentlemen. [The enterprising researcher should study all uses of “gentleman” in historical works, including Shakespeare, for a complete understanding of how gentleman are fundamentally different from potential philosophers and the majority of individuals.] We suggest that the majority of Socrates' undocumented time was engaged in activities that the city would support and approve; defending ancient traditions and long held opinions. If the life and demise of Socrates is an example, then these activities are, on the whole, time consuming and thankless endeavors.
From the writings that have reached our time, we must conclude that Socrates' decades of effort to find anyone with a philosophical mind and political outlook resulted in a solitary name: Plato. We use the qualifying words “political outlook” because true philosophers do not write works for posterity with the hope of being admired by future youths who enjoy thinking. It seems that true philosophers ask questions, live in a barrel, suggest that equality can only be found in death and masturbate in public.
We find it disturbing that Socrates' only verifiable success at corrupting the youth was the liberal leaning rabble-rouser Plato. It can be confidently stated that neither true philosophers nor political philosophers can be liberal; for the freedom of liberality undermines the stable city, and without the benefits of the city, the philosopher cannot engage in man's highest calling: thinking. The only liberal philosophers are the pseudo-philosophers that can, in reality, can only be described as sophists. These bellicose sophists either do not understand that their questioning undermines the foundation of the city, or they are intentionally destroying the hegemony of the city by corrupting the youths who will be future leaders.
Yes, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good.”
-The Animals
In accordance with the plenitude of my Occult powers (those recognized and those yet to be discovered), by the rights and privileges conferred to me by the Ancient Hermetic Order of Hierophants, I duly proclaim upon Socrates the highly esteemed and lessor known title of “Honorary Capricorn”.
It is so ordered.