Socrates - Good or Bad?

[Minister of Truth]

Since modern philosophy is much more in common with the Pre-Socratics and Sophism than it does with philosophy from Socrates through the Renaissance, it begs the question. Did Socrates set Western civilization backward and inhibit progress as we see it today?

I'm currently studying up on some philosophy lectures. This question kind of came to me years ago upon first encountering Socrates and Plato.

 

[cancel2 2022]

Here is a question. Will studying Socrates help you stop another 9/11 or will it just help you to be more philosophical about it?

 

[/MSG/]

Socretes was/is fucking amazing.

 

[Minister of Truth]

Socrates changed the direction of philosophy until the coming of the Early Modern Period. We generally look to Decartes as the turning point. It just seems that we now have become the Sophists and other schools that Socrates opposed.

 

[/MSG/]

Some of us have sure. Even I, ever the student of Socrates, also take lessons from others (most notably Hagel). But that doesn't make the teachings of Socrates irrelevent or unnecessary.