Friends , those who have read my Part -I , will better appreciate this second part ! Though I have made it shorter and self-contained for easy reading !
HISTORY OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY IN VERSE : PART -II (ADVENT OF SOCRATES)
HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY
IN VERSE
( PART – II )
Prelude To The Age Of Socrates :
So far we have seen , Greek thinking was centered
round a physical being ;
Forever seeking that single and irreducible constituent
of all things !
While they also examined ‘change’ and ‘changelessness’ , -
of ‘becoming’ and ‘being’ !
But the materialism of Democritus had soon brought ,
A natural termination of such thoughts !
For Democritus had maintained and said , -
“In reality there was nothing but atoms and space !”
The Sophist’s wisdom had looked within ,
Upon their own thoughts and nature of things !
But a gradual degeneration of their commercialized
teachings had set in ;
Adding to the intellectual and moral chaos of the
Greeks !
Therefore , a moderator , a thinker , a wise and
a true sage ,
Was required to restore the intellectual balance
in that chaotic age !
THE ADVENT OF SOCRATES (469-399 BC)
For historians , Socrates has been a difficult subject
to deal ,
Since he taught verbally and did not write a thing !
Whatever we have come to know ,
Is from the writings of his two pupils , -
Xenophon and Plato !
His father was a sculptor and mother a midwife ,
And Socrates had led a modest life !
As a young man he was a soldier once ,
And had saved the life of Alcibiades in a war !
He gave up the comfort of a political life , -
To become a seeker of truth , and lead a
philosopher’s life !
The year 469 BC saw the birth of the this first
Athenian born philosopher – Socrates ;
The Oracle at Delphi had pronounced him to be
wisest of the Greeks !
A great pioneer of systematic logical thought ,
Whom till date the world has not forgot !
The ideas and ideal of this intellectual Father of
Philosophy ,
Radiates across two thousand years of History
of Philosophy !
The Classical Period of ancient philosophy is
said to have begotten , -
With three great masters named - Socrates , Plato ,
and Aristotle !
PHILOSOPHY of SCOCRATES :
The physical side of the world had left him
cold ,
For he had nothing to learn from trees and
stones !
But all things ‘human’ was dear to him ,
And here we have his philosophy’s beginning !
What was man , his thoughts and what he could
become ;
“Know Thyself” - became the dictum !
For ‘an unexamined life was not worth living’ ;
If value was to be added to life to give it proper
meaning !
So by questioning Socrates found answers to
his seeking !
He refuted those Sophist who had maintained ,
There was no truth and true knowledge could
never be attained !
His ingenious form of cross-examination
began with doubt ,
An intellectual midwifery giving birth to other
people’s ideas , and to bring them out !
A critical approach to Ethical problems was
his great mission ;
Which was achieved through induction and
by seeking definitions !
Since right thoughts must be preceded by
right action by you , -
Knowledge was the greatest of virtues !
And vice was the result of ignorance ,
Which his followers did believe in , and
also did acknowledge !
Death Of Socrates :
By his critical comments and stinging remarks ,
Socrates offended the passion-ridden Athenian
democratic class !
They branded him as an atheist , and brought
trumped-up charges against him !
For spreading sedition and corrupting the youth !
Though these charges were far from truth !
Socrates had advocated the right and necessity
of free thought ,
Which those democratic rulers had forgot !
Refusing to beg for mercy or recant when given
a choice ,
He stood steadfast till the end with dignity and
poise ;
And counseled and calmed his followers in a
calm voice , -
To be of good cheer and never to fear !
Since the poison hemlock would lock-up his
mortal body with creeping cold ,
But would forever release his immortal soul !
Thus Socrates became the first martyr of
Philosophy ,
And a martyr to Athenian brand of Democracy !
THE CYNICS
Antisthenes the founder of the School of Cynics ,
Had been a faithful disciple of Socrates !
Uncouth and disdainful of the amenities of life ,
Preferred to lead the so called ‘dog’s life’ !
But of all those cynics perhaps the best known ,
Was Diogenes of Sinope !
All his life he had lived in a tub ;
And walked the streets in broad daylight with
a lantern in hand ,
Looking for someone worthy to be called a Man !
In Corinth , when the great Alexander stood before
his view ,
And asked Diogenes , “Can I do anything for you?”
Diogenes had calmly replied , “Stand a bit out of
my light , will you !”
Alexander had been once a pupil of Aristotle ,
And respected philosophers , so without being
startled ,
Is known to have said, “If I were not Alexander ,
I would like to be Diogenes !”
And by some strange coincidence of History ,
On the same day of the year 323 Before Christ ,-
Both Alexander and Diogenes had died !
THE CYRENAICS
Aristippus (435-366 BC) :
He was born in a rich and intellectual family in
the African city of Cyrene ,
To become the founder of the School of Cyrenaics .
For them the greatest good always came , -
From the attainment of pleasure and avoidance
of pain !
But behind the most intense of pleasure of body
and soul ,
Lurks the germs which make things rot – beyond
our control !
This crude Hedonism was later modified , -
To be adopted by the Epicurians after sometime !
And the those Cynic’s teaching of refuting pleasure ,
Got modified to be adopted by the Stoics -
in full measure !
Our human life is a duality of pleasure and pain ,
Of joy and sorrow , and sunshine and rain !
To seek everlastingness apart from life’s duality ,
Would be very unwise , or even gross stupidity !
Thus I conclude Part Two of my Greek Philosophy !
Part Three will deal with the philosophy of Plato ,
And with him into the ideal world philosophy -
we will begin to soar !
( ALL COPY RIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY THE
AUTHOR RAJ NANDY )
THANK YOU FOR READING !……………………………………………………
Sir...not only in Socrates's time...even now people who speak the truth are not respected...their intentions are often misjudged and they are branded by many names...the importance of truth is realized long after the person who spoke is gone!!!Thank you Sir for this enlightening write !!!
Wow.........yu have educated yur readers by providing this philosophic details by yur rhythmic poem....It captured my heart to study Greek philosophy.....
I sincerely want to thank my Readers for their patience and their eagerness to know something new ! I am a learner myself , and trying to spread the good words in verse for easy and enjoyable reading ! Thanks dear friends ! -Raj
'know yourself'...hats off you had highlighted the teachings and the nature of that great philosopher...in such a lovely way...the length of your poems does not matter since it is very educative
Thank you Raj, I found this very interesting. Socrates message to us all "know yourself" is as important today as when he first spoke it. To many of us do not look inside to question and revise. An enjoyable read Raj you have continued the education of the poets of the world. I look forward to your treatise on Plato
Raji, Your treatise on this subject is exemplary...hats off to you for bringing out an epic ,that would make a sensational imprint on the annals of history..well done indeed...
Hey Raj, Greek sages of yore seem to have alive from the mummies with their live chat in this classic in thought yet modern in form piece of poetry. Stunning that both Diogenes and Alexander died the same day! Perhaps both of them were the realized ones, the former was realized in soul and the latter in body!!! Thank you so much for sharing ancient wisdom. Surely, your name is going to shine in the history of philosophic thought. Raj, you have made yourself immortal...CP
hats off! great pain behind this creation
Wonderful - wonderful reading this is Raj. A truly remarkable achievement to present such a time-span in understandable rhyme too - -my sincere applause for the effort taken - - I laughed with delight when I realised the response Alexander made to the sage Diogenes after the abrupt request to "stand a bit out of my light will you " - -- exciting reading this - -another instalement soon I hope - -meanwhile my thanks . - - from Fay.
you already posted part III before I even read Part II! this is such a great read- I will be sure to cacth up!! very fine work my friend!!