Sokrates

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Sokrates (c. 470 BCE – 399 BCE), alternatively Socrates,^[1] was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He was the teacher of Plato and Alkibiades.

Biography

During his lifetime, he befriended Kassandra, an infamous Spartan misthios, becoming somewhat of a mentor to them. Sometimes assisting the mercenary in parts of their journey.^[2]

During the Peloponnesian War Sokrates visited the Silver Islands around the same time as Kassandra. He posed her a dilemma.^[3]

After the rebellion had overthrown the Athenian rule on the Silver Islands, Sokrates joined the celebrations, talking with interested citizens.^[4]

During the plague in Athens, Sokrates was observing the situation and people there. He witnessed the death of Perikles and decided to remain in the city in order to oppose the rhetoric of Kleon the Everyman, the new leader of Athens.^[5]

Later in around 425 BCE, Sokrates, alongside Aristophanes, assisted Kassandra in tarnishing the reputation of Kleon, a Sage of the Cult of Kosmos who had taken power following Perikles' death in 429 BCE.^[2]

Influence and legacy

In 1511 or 1512, the Assassin Mentor Ezio Auditore da Firenze retrieved a copy of Aesop's Fables in Constantinople attributed to him.^[1]

Personality and characteristics

As an exceptional rhetorician who dominated political debates, Sokrates earned the respect of the intelligentsia of Athens. He was a fervent advocate of the democratic principles of his native state,^[2] and his prolific contributions to the philosophical tradition of Greece has left a lasting legacy which continued to reverberate as late as the days of the Ottoman Empire and beyond.^[1] Outspoken and courageous, he also boasted an extraordinary capacity for liquor.^[2]

Socratic method

Socrates was famous for having introduced the socratic method, which is asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions(wikipedia). Odysee tries to recreate the man and his method and to a certain degree succeeds but the game often hamstrings the player's options with a black and white fallacy. An example of this is the quest On a High Horse. In it the player is confonted by the Heinz dillemma In this case a man steals a horse because otherwise his family would go hungry, as his own horse, his source of income has died. Should he be punished? The whole point of this excercise is twofold. One, to demonstrate that there is more to the crime as the player is not informed about the reason for stealing until he catches the thief. Secondly, that it isn't what is decided what matters mosts, but why one chooses a certain option.

This quest is questionable in both respects as in the first case next to stealing the most obvious option for the thief was to ask the owner of the horse for the horse. Another option would have been to ask the community to help him out. Yet another is finding another source of income. The player never gets to argue these points and is thus forced into a black and white fallacy. On the second point the game fails as the whole excercise is no the judgement, but the reason: why? The player is simply confronted with another black and white fallacy: give back the horse or let him have it. Which is actually not even what was the discussion: should he be punished or not was. Hence, while initially an interesting dillemma is introduced, the whole flounders on a black and white fallacy and missing the essence of the socratic method. However, it is nice it is attempted.