And Why Are They Called Pre-Socratic Philosophers? the Professor Asked.

Happy Advent, by Prof. Lucas J. Mather, APU Political Science Department

And why do you think this group of philosophers are called The Pre-Socratics, the professor asked, holding up an Oxford University Press book by the same title.

A girl raised her hand straight up, and said, because they came before Socrates.

Okay, the professor coaxed. But so what? Why name them that? What’s that tell you?

[It was deathly silent in the class].

The professor said, after a while: It tells you, Socrates was a bad-ass.

—–

The history of Philosophy goes like this: there was before Socrates, and there was everything else after Socrates, the professor said. There were these guys — let’s call them Pre-Socratics. And then, there was … Socrates. The American philosopher AN Whitehead said, all of philosophy is but a footnote to Plato, his student, our primary source for Socrates.

[It was quiet, but some were writing notes. Nobody was on their phones].

The professor continued, when did Socrates live?

A girl raised her hand, her book open, and said, 470 to 399 BC.

Very good, the professor said. Yes, and I like that the book says it that way. It’s honest. Not like these lying politically correct liars, but I repeat myself.

[It was slightly awkward in the class].

What does that tell you, the professor asked.

[Again, it was silent].

BC — Before Christ, the professor said. All of philosophy is divided thusly–those before Socrates, those after. Pre-Socratic , and everyone else. You’re either Pre Socratic, or you’re not. Those are the options. But Socrates ! We don’t measure his birthday in reference to anything else besides someone else.

[Again, it was awkward, and silent].

And that someone, the professor continued, is Jesus. A man you don’t even want to say his name in the classroom. It is in reference this other man that we measure not only Socrates’ dates, when he lived and when he died, but by which we measure when you lived ! When you lived, when you were born, and when you died. And when you took your first quiz. And when did you take your first quiz?

[Total freaked out faces].

You took it today, the professor said.

[Confused faces].

But , the girl said, we haven’t…

Not yet, you haven’t, the professor said to student groans. I will give you a quiz — the birthday of which man is the date by which we measure Socrates’ life and death, the years he was born and died?

[Students, confusingly, looked around at each other].

Write it down!, the professor said, that’s your quiz.

That’s it? the student said.

That’s just the beginning, the professor said. Turn it in on your way out, and do the reading, and I’ll see you next class.

[And they all filled out their answer and filed out the door, shaken yet calm, and several said some version of thank you, and see you next time, and have a great day professor].

Copyright Lucas J. Mather, 2018
All Rights Reserved
Originally published to Facebook on Thursday 22 Nov 2018 at 11:18 pm

Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. is producer and host of The Republican Professor, a podcast featuring conversation on any topic related to American Politics.
He teaches Constitutional Law, The American Founding, and American Political Institutions at Azusa Pacific University (APU) in Lost Angeles County, California. For many years he taught at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Loyola Marymount University in Lost Angeles, and several community colleges in Lost Angeles City, County and Ventura County, as well as two large California State Universities in LA and in Orange County.

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