by Leah Zani

Created on: September 08, 2008

Heroes often compel us to empathy. Through stories, we learn to associate our heroes with our own paths and crossroads in life. The inspirations for our greatest deeds more often than not lie outside of our selvesin stories and questions that arise through empathy and our own curiosity.

Remember, Socrates wrote nothing down. But his story is rich with questions, curiosity, and debate. Socrates began conversations that continued into our written historical record as philosophical and teaching stories. Some of these stories, like the movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, seem more full of fluff that philosophy (1989). What intrigues me about these stories is also the defining feature of a Socratic dialoguethe questioning that made Socrates famous. Questions are, in most cases, the sole tool Socrates used to convince others. So, what roles do empathy and questions play in the creation of heroes? Is Socrates a hero?

One of my college professors once cautioned our class not to use books as sources for a final paper. She said "books are seductive." We are more likely to agree with a viewpoint after reading a book about it than after reading an equal amount of shorter articles and research. The longer we read within a single narrative, the more questions become answered with "yes, I believe that." It is interesting to think of empathy as a process of question-and-answer that may occur through immersion in a story. I look at my bookshelf and see so many seducers. Some, the books by big thinkers of our own age, seem to question and convince me from within their well-flipped covers. Michael Foucault in particular is sneering at me, I think.

I would like to say right now that, as books go, I do not mind being seduced by the questions of Socrates. We can learn a lot about ourselves and our assumptions by participating in the questions-and-answers that characterize Socratic dialogue. Despite this, I do disagree with some of his assumptions about virtue, women, and government. I allow myself to disagree with my heroes.

Heroes become most useful in our own lives when they become personal heroes. To argue whether Socrates is a HERO, a legend in the myth and reality of history, is to grapple in the maw of the past and future of humanity. In the more modest teeth of this debate, it seems wise to only grapple with the present lives that we live. I like to think of reality, myth, and history as teaching tools we can use to better ourselves. I think it is more than possible for Socrates to become a personal hero. More than that, well.What do you think?

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