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According to Plato's report (The Apology of Socrates) Socrates says in his famous defense that his friend, Chairephon, went to Delphi and the pythoness (official spokesperson for the god Apollo) said that no one was wiser than Socrates. When Socrates heard this he said to himself (according to W.H.D. Rouse's translation)"What in the world does the god mean? What in the world is his riddle? For I know in my conscience that I am not wise in anything, great or small; ...Surely he [Apollo] is not lying? For he must not lie." He quizzed a famous politician thought to be wise and merely annoyed him, but went away and concluded that neither of them knew "anything beautiful and good, but he thinks he does know when he doesn't, and I don't know and I don't tnink I do: so I am wiser than he by just this trifle ..." He then continued this quest, looking for a truly wise man, and could not find one. He did succeed in thoroughly annoying the citizenry of Athens, who accused him, tried him, convicted him, and killed him. Here we could just report him to the webmistress and let her handle it. 2400 years of progress in human justice! |
