What if Socrates had an internet connection
They can’t make us all drink hemlock.
Socrates was widely believed to be the wisest man in Athens.
By his 70s, the Athenian government had changed a lot. Young men had come into government with fresh ideas and, more importantly to them, into power. The increasingly restrictive laws of Athens purportedly were necessary to keep everyone safe from barbarian invasion. It was in everyone’s best interest if people abide. Just do it. Or else.
But Socrates continued to question everything.
Questioning anything is extremely annoying to those who think they know everything.
So, they gave Socrates notice. “In six months, we’re going to hold a trial for your crimes (wink, wink).” They were actually saying, “Look, we don’t want to kill you. But get the hell out of Athens and go bother someone else, you old goat.”
The charges? “Corrupting the youth.” Teaching young people how to question.
As a perfect middle finger to the Athenian government, Socrates didn’t leave town. He went to his trial, humiliated them with his arguments, and then forced them to sentence him to death.
He was a popular man, so this looked terrible for the Athenian government and caused the population to question them even more, exactly as Socrates taught when he was alive.
Plato captures the whole thing. It’s only about a hundred pages and, honestly, pretty funny.
Socrates works from beyond the grave, even today.
A measure of social health: Socrates per square mile
Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl reflected on his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp. Rather than thinking everyone in Nazi Germany was evil, it would be easier to pretend it was just one man "forcing" everyone in line.
But in the Third Reich, few were brave enough to tell the truth. One in three people was a government informant. If you had a family of three, one of them was likely willing to give you up. It wasn’t just one person.
But one person (in this case, Frankl) out of millions being willing to tell the truth (even if it gets him killed—or worse) can undermine an entire tyranny.
Don’t believe it? It happens at the highest levels—dissident writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn helped topple the Soviet Union with his book, The Gulag Archipelago. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in South African prison because he continued to tell the truth, "cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society...an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
That’s all heroic and inspiring, but do we all need to suffer so much to save our society?
No.
If there are a lot of Socrates, they can’t silence us all.
They can’t take us all down
With internet access, Socrates might have been unstoppable.
We can tell you here that traditional schools are a corrupt travesty bent on indoctrinating kids into an existing power structure, and we don’t end up in court.
Why?
Not because the power structure wouldn’t silence us if they could. But because there are just too many of us.
The political costs of silencing us are just too high; too many people are now paying attention.
Follow the truth and ask questions
What’s the worst you will suffer for seeking the truth?
Probably not being forced to drink hemlock like Socrates.
In 2022, we face social stigma. Being canceled. Mean tweets.
Comparatively, not too bad. But, still, it’s not nothing. Social alienation hurts. Nobody likes to feel like their views aren't welcome in their own community.
rebelEducator is here to help. We provide a place and community where we can tell the truth about educating kids. We’re here to question everything and encourage you and your kids to do the same.
We want to empower families to question everything — and decide for themselves.
Thanks for reading,
Taylor + rebelEducator team
P.S.
What we’re looking at:
Quotes we’re pondering:
“Learn with both your head and hands.” — Thomas Edison
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” — Socrates
“My love of learning began once I stopped going to school.” — David Perell