April 5, 2014
-
The Gadfly
Socrates’ reputation as a gadfly – an annoying insect that won’t leave you alone – finally got him in trouble in ancient Athens, when he questioned too many political truisms – and was too critical of the basic beliefs of Athenians. He did manage however, to change the world in profound ways – mostly by his questions.
Let me continue his methods for a few moments:Why in the present United States of America – a nation even more important today than ancient Athens was in its time – Do so many citizens either reject their civic responsibilities or when they do vote, vote for candidates whose professed viewpoints and beliefs are not representative of the voters’ best interests?
