Darkwall, all your threads become arguments, simply because you are unable to accept people having differing opinions to your own. Perhaps if you avoided the condacension of which you seem to be so fond, you would realise that there is a lot of value in what other people have had to say.
Sigh, if you want to play "who knows most about Sokrates" I have also read Aristotle and Xenophon, and the plays of Aristophanes (The Clouds being a harsh criticism of Sokrates, and inaccurately labelling him a sophist.) I can also read classical greek. I admire you for reading a single source, that of a student of Sokrates. I dislike any attempt to discredit the opinion of someone else by professing them as ignorant. So I won't do that then.
His trial was political actually - and little to do with the offence with which he was charged. It is most likely to do with his praise of Sparta at a time when tensions between Athens and Sparta were high.
Exile was a way of life in Athens. Indeed, one politician a year would be voted into exile as a way of reminding them that they served the people.
Again, in the mentioning of the paedophile case... you completely avoided my point. Did you attend the trial? Do you know all the facts of the case? Or did, as I suspect, you just hear about it and ASSUME that it was as simple as someone only being sentenced for manslaughter because the victim was a paedophile?
You have also intentionally chosen to misrepresent what I said. I used the term INADEQUACIES, as in self perceived shortfalls. The quote you returned with in no way, shape, or form reflects my point.
Why is someone who is not a billionaire a failure? I feel that although you feel you like to think outside the box, in essence you are buying into the same mass culture you profess to despise. Someone is not a failure simply because they are not accreditied as the owner of the most money, the biggest car, the best selling movie.
Therefore, I was surprised to read in your final paragraph "Obviously these things are down to other people as well as yourself"
So, are you saying we have choices or not?
I have NEVER denied that enviroment has an effect on realising goals however. Clearly that is just logic. My whole reason for arguing with you over all these long posts was you stated that we, in effect, no free will, that outside stimuli make our decisions for us. Which is obviously not the case.
I do understand the point you were trying to make. However, as you can tell, I hold a diametrically opposed opinion. I see people as amazing, wondrous creatures, full of possibilities and choices, and I would not have that any other way.
