What Would Socrates Do? (WWSD?)

Socrates was misunderstood - a man who was fallen by the jealousy of others who failed to see the virtues of his teachings and saw them as corrupt political misconduct.

There are many arguments one can sustain about morality, culture, virtue and ethics in our modern day society. Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians even boasted that "philosophy is the talk on a cereal box" which leaves to question if that reference is more about the ingredients that went into making of the cereal or is the cereal a product born more out of our demand rather than our necessity?

I am more akin to think that cereal is all good, but there are far too many unknown ingredients that go into its making therefore making the cereal more of a gamble and risk than a known.

Socrates could argue that cereal is a necessary part of a balanced breakfast. The ingredients that go into its making are grown by people with skill and the sale of the product helps to produce economy and diversity for the society on the whole. The weight of the cereal is many fold - it produced from grown products, sold in market and served in households everywhere.

Philosophy is no more an art than cereal is part of a balanced and wholesome breakfast. To be quite honest, I avoid cereal altogether! Have you seen some of the chemicals they put in that stuff?

Anyhow, philosophy can be tedious and downright intimidating when looked at from an old-school point of view. To bring things up to speed, modern day philosophy is more akin to opinion than anything else and leaves little to be desired. I guess the electronic age has dulled the senses enough to where "free thinking" and the ability to think freely has been retarded by our "I'll-have-it now-and-if-I-can't-I'll-get-a-replacement-for-half-price" society.

If faced with the same pangs of need and greed that society impels upon us with wanting to look better, feel better and do better, what would Socrates do?

He'd probably ingest even MORE hemlock...

(Originally published 25 March 2006 on the blog "The Curbside Pilosopher")