by Colin Swash, writer of The Man Who Argued Himself to Death
What is Philosophy?
A crusty old subject involving old men with beards, largely studied by old men with beards?
Or is it the most important thing in the world - a vibrant, essential activity, an attempt to understand who we are and what we’re doing with our lives?
For Socrates it was most definitely the latter. Wandering round the market square in Ancient Athens, he made it his business to ask people why they thought and behaved as they did. A helpful public service or a bloody nuisance? In an Athenian law court in 399 BC, a jury was given the chance to decide. And if their verdict went against Socrates, the penalty would be death.
Socrates was philosophy’s first big celebrity. The proof? He’s the earliest to feature in Monty Python’s Philosophers’ Drinking Song. That’s where I first heard of him. “A witty little thinker, but a bugger when he’s pissed”, so they sang. As it happens, Socrates was famous for being able to hold his drink even when everyone else was passing out, but who cares? Never let facts get in the way of a funny song. My second encounter with Socrates led to the writing of this play. When I read about his trial, it felt made for theatre. The way he defended himself! When you’re there, in the dock, charged with a capital offence, what’s your strategy? Smart clothes? Best behaviour? That’s what any defence barrister would recommend. So, to wear your usual dirty ragged robe and defiantly inform the jury that they’d be fools to convict you is, well, perhaps not wise.
Not wise? Socrates would see the irony. Wisdom was one of his obsessions. How do we get wiser? Is wisdom something we can learn from others? And before we get into all that, what the hell is ‘wisdom’ anyway? If an Athenian Tardis could bring Socrates to the present day, he’d be impressed with humanity’s technological advances, but as for how much wiser we are… progress would be harder to spot. Would he be surprised? I doubt it. Disappointed? Yes, but also wryly amused – and keen to get on X/Twitter, up for an argument with anyone who seemed just a little too certain in their prejudices and assumptions. No doubt, people would soon be blocking him.
Argument, that’s what Socrates loved – above eating, drinking, going to the theatre and by all accounts, way above washing. Then, at the age of 70, he was brought before a court, to argue for his life. The events depicted in this play occurred nearly 2,500 years ago. But the themes are equally relevant now. Free speech, truth, justice, democracy and, as some might put it, ‘mindfulness’.
So what should we do with our lives? No one has all the answers, but here’s one idea. Why not pop down to the ADC Theatre and see ‘The Man Who Argued Himself to Death’? It’ll cost you a lot less than an Oasis ticket and – even without Liam and Noel - you will witness a lot more arguments. And who knows, like their songs (and Monty Python’s), one or two bits may stick in your head.
The Man Who Argued Himself to Death
Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 October 2024, 7.45PM
ADC Theatre
Click here to book your tickets!