Sunday, June 14, 2015

Philosophers Immortalized


Greeks are well known for their philosophers and many of those most prominenent and highly regarded by the Greeks themselves were immortalized in stone sculpture. Above is a sculpture dated to 280-210 BC in marble of the philosopher Chrysippus. Chrysippus was a philosopher from Soloi who "was the principle systematizer of stoic philosophy" (Encyclopedia Britannica ). 

Socrates, called the Father of Western Philosophy, has been depicted many times. Here in this 27 inch sculpture carved between 200 BC and 100AD, Socrates is idealized to some extent, though to modern eyes this portrayal may still seem unflattering.

Socrates was described by Plato and Xenophon as "portly, pug-nosed, fleshy-lipped...a physical appearance like that of a satyr which belied the inner beauty of his spirit" (paraphrased from British Museum). Socrates was one of the most brilliant philosophical minds in humanity's history and his Socratic method of posing leading questions and encouraging open debate and exploration of a topic is still used today to great effect. Here is another Greek sculpture of Socrates: 





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