Monday, December 18, 2006

Fear of Death as Disobedience

In the Apology, Socrates says (when he answers the charge that he should be ashamed, for living "a course of life which [was] likely to bring [him] to an untimely end):

"If, I say, now, when, as I conceive and imagine, God orders me to fulfill the philosopher's mission of searching into myself and other men, I were to desert my post through fear of death, or any other fear; that would indeed be strange, and I might justly be arraigned in court for denying the existence of the gods, if I disobeyed the oracle because I was afraid of death: then I should be fancying that I was wise when I was not wise. For this fear of death is indeed the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being the appearance of knowing the unknown; since no one knows whether death, which they in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. Is there not here conceit of knowledge, which is a disgraceful sort of ignorance? "

Is Socrates' point that he would not disobey God out of fear of death since he does not know whether death is good or bad? Or, does he mean that the disobedience would be in fearing death: since that would be a pretense of wisdom? It seems he is making both points.


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