http://ryanharne.com/2005/06/17/sequence/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:50:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://ryanharne.com/2005/06/17/sequence/#comment-318 Stew Sat, 18 Jun 2005 20:23:03 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2005/06/17/sequence/#comment-318 If you ever make your way to Vancouver, I'll hook you up with some good coffee. :) If you ever make your way to Vancouver, I’ll hook you up with some good coffee.

]]> http://ryanharne.com/2005/06/17/sequence/#comment-315 cliffardo2001 Fri, 17 Jun 2005 06:12:17 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2005/06/17/sequence/#comment-315 Always good to see someone reading a classic. However, I think you should be careful about your claim that one gets a glimpes of Socrates through the writings of Plato, especially since Socrates didn't write anything down. Much of what is known about Socrates is through the writings of Xenophon and Plato, Plato being, of course, the most notable. The problem with this is the suspicious vicariousness of what is known of the man. Essentially we have to trust that what these writers say of Socrates is true. Otherwise, what we know is a mere distillation of him (and not a disinterested distillation either). Therefore I do not think that you can claim that the ideals espoused in the Republic are the express ideals of Socrates, but rather those of Plato (in fact, the character of Socrates found in Plato's writings is referred by historians and philosophers as Platonic Socrates). But, yes, it's certainly a fabulous read. The opening of book 7 is awesome! Always good to see someone reading a classic. However, I think you should be careful about your claim that one gets a glimpes of Socrates through the writings of Plato, especially since Socrates didn’t write anything down. Much of what is known about Socrates is through the writings of Xenophon and Plato, Plato being, of course, the most notable. The problem with this is the suspicious vicariousness of what is known of the man. Essentially we have to trust that what these writers say of Socrates is true. Otherwise, what we know is a mere distillation of him (and not a disinterested distillation either). Therefore I do not think that you can claim that the ideals espoused in the Republic are the express ideals of Socrates, but rather those of Plato (in fact, the character of Socrates found in Plato’s writings is referred by historians and philosophers as Platonic Socrates). But, yes, it’s certainly a fabulous read. The opening of book 7 is awesome!

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