Joseph P. Lawrencesocrates Among Strangers - 1442 Words

Joseph P. Lawrence. Socrates Among Strangers. (Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2015) An interesting and provocative take on the life of Socrates, Socrates Among Strangers takes the eminent Greek philosopher out of the comfort of Greece and into strangeness of the World. All throughout this modest endeavor the prevailing question of what or whom a stranger is and whether this stranger can be discerned is tackled with great enthusiasm. With an almost impeccable success we the viewers are thrust into a modern culture almost parallel to that of the ancient Greece. We bear witness to a youth’s possible enigmatic education that questions the very notion of Being and nature all the while enveloping him in an erotic love for knowledge.†¦show more content†¦His methodology of vicariously sifting through the life and philosophies of Socrates does well to make the internal stranger more clear and concrete than ever. His slow removal of the unintelligibility that surrounds our misunderstood internal stranger is very effective. The Socratic stranger becomes mallea ble and understandable with every passing chapter which finally culminates in an image that is easily comprehensible to anyone. Throughout the book Lawrence employs different tools to reach his task of fully realizing the Socratic stranger. This accomplishment would be made with varying degrees of success, however. The story begins in Japan were Lawrence expresses both surprise and admiration of his Japanese neighbors who, in the face of such adversity, remained calm and orderly. As we move forward we be presented with a Socrates made in the image of analytical philosopher Gregory Vlastos and continental philosopher Leo Strauss. Lawrence gives critiques on both while also extrapolating from their ideas to form his own concise Socratic image for the reader. We later move to the education of Socrates as well as important individuals whom had a part in it. Strong emphasis on the importance of the Socratic stranger as well as the origin of the Socratic â€Å"midwife† can found here. Lawrence also makes note of the love affair with Alcibiades as well as Socrates’