„Az én védőbeszédem”
Szerzőnk az ókori bölcs helyébe képzelte magát és ezt jelenítette meg egy ironikus minidrámában. Helyszín: a börtön cellája. „Általában egyedül vagyok és a racionális gondolkodás valamelyik mély problémáján dolgozom. Például, hogy lehet-e műtárgynak nevezni valamit, ami egyszersmind piszkavasként szolgál. Most éppen Agathon és Simmias látogatását fogadom.”
A jelenet előtt a szerző bevezető soraiban tisztázza viszonyát a szokratészi létproblémához. Most csak ezt a részt idézem, kivételesen: angolul.
My Apology
Of all the famous men who ever lived, the one I would most like to have been was Socrates. Not just because he was a great thinker, because I have been known to have some reasonably profound insights myself, although mine invariably revolve around a Swedish airline stewardess and some handcuffs. No, the great appeal for me of this wisest of all Greeks was his courage in the face of death. His decision was not to abandon his principles, but rather to give his life to prove a point. I personally am not quite as fearless about dying and will, after any untoward noise such as a car backfiring, leap directly into the arms of the person I am conversing with. In the end Socrates' brave death gave his life authentic meaning; something my existence lacks totally, although it does possess a minimal relevance to the Internal Revenue Department. I must confess I have tried putting myself in this great philospher's sandals many times and no matter how often I do, I immediately wind up dozing off and having the following dream...
Of all the famous men who ever lived, the one I would most like to have been was Socrates. Not just because he was a great thinker, because I have been known to have some reasonably profound insights myself, although mine invariably revolve around a Swedish airline stewardess and some handcuffs. No, the great appeal for me of this wisest of all Greeks was his courage in the face of death. His decision was not to abandon his principles, but rather to give his life to prove a point. I personally am not quite as fearless about dying and will, after any untoward noise such as a car backfiring, leap directly into the arms of the person I am conversing with. In the end Socrates' brave death gave his life authentic meaning; something my existence lacks totally, although it does possess a minimal relevance to the Internal Revenue Department. I must confess I have tried putting myself in this great philospher's sandals many times and no matter how often I do, I immediately wind up dozing off and having the following dream...
