/lit/ - Literature

All men are mortal
Socrates is a man

Socrates is mortal


Socrates though, through his writing, appears to us immortal. The manhood of Socrates has to be defined before we might be able to say if it is even mortal.

I am reading the republic for the first time and came across a roadblock.

Socrates is building the foundation for the republic with Adeimantus and they are on the subject of poets interpretations of God and how he cannot possibly be perceived as imperfect or even be imperfect.

Now on to the problem and they are on about the true lie but I cannot reflect to it in myself. “Do you not know, I said, that the true lie, if such an expression may be allowed, is hatred of gods and men?
What do you mean? He said.
I mean that no one is willingly deceived in that which is truest and highest part of himself, or about the truest and highest matters; there, above all, he is most afraid of a lie having possession of him.
Still, he said, I do not comprehend you.
The reason is, I replied, that you attribute some profound meaning to my words; but I am only saying that deception, or being deceived or uninformed about the highest realities in the highest part of themselves, which is the soul, and in that part of them to have and to hold the lie, is what mankind least like; — that, I say, is what they utterly detest.
There is nothing more hateful to them. And, as I was just now remarking, this ignorance in the soul of him who is deceived may be called the true lie ; for the lie in words is only a kind of imitation and shadowy image of a previous affection of the soul, not pure unadulterated falsehood. “

How can one know who they really are? I am trying to read this to help grasp at who I may be ? Am I lying to myself ? Are we all in some way or form committing this lie ?

A question