One of the dialogues my ex-philosophy teacher read from was very entertaining, at least in the way he recited it and talked about the historical and cultural background of it. I hope one of these days a student somewhere records his readings and lectures and posts it somewhere, since we can’t just clone this man (yet) and make them teach in every philosophy class. I wish everyone had access to a good philosophy teacher. I may of not of even considered changing my major to biology midway through working on my now former Associate of Arts degree if it wasn’t for that experience.

Socrates’ repeatedly uttered “for I know nothing” can be seen as an example of perseverative language.

Well, you have to butter someone up before making the smackdown . I think he knew what he was doing when he claiming ignorance. You also have to remember the state of the political climate in ancient Athens, you couldn’t just rudely challenge members of the elite or the Sophists for a debate without getting in to a great deal of conflict and/or other kind of trouble. He might of been eccentric, but he sure as hell put his fingers on the right pulses of others for debate. From my understanding, a lot of this was most likely and act in order to catch people at contradictions, then pwning them by pointing out the problems with their arguments. I just think it’s a miracle he lived that long, and it isn’t like he died young. Perspective changes with age.

Most of this seems more like an modern interpretation that has little to do with any understanding of ancient mindsets of any culture, much less the historical and cultural contexts about ancient Greece. Sounds more like grabbing for straws if you ask me. He was-or at least claimed to be-a big believer in “The social contract”, and considered himself bound to the laws of the place of his birth, to flee would be dishonest, cowardly and wrong, at least in his opinion. Just my two cents.