Joel Alden Schlosser

In this thoughtful and careful study, Schlosser (Bryn Mawr) revisits the vitality of Socrates as a political thinker who encourages the “contesting” of democracy through “questioning and dialogue” (p. 5). Instead of accepting the well-established depictions of Socrates as harming Athenian political culture (I. F. Stone), or Socrates functioning in an essentially apolitical manner (Sheldon Wolin), the author provides an integrative defense of Socrates and the continued relevance of his thought to the study of politics. Socrates the ironic or esoteric thinker is rejected in favor of Socrates as an advocate of “strangeness,” correcting previous analyses by Gregory Vlastos and Leo Strauss. Socrates becomes an advocate of “enduring dissonance” for living the “examined life” (p. 176). Other important issues raised in the book include new insights regarding the nature of Socratic citizenship and the Socratic model of free speech. Socratic citizenship, as defined by the accountability of the citizenry, can provide a more prudent basis for a regime. With a deeper appreciation of the Socratic understanding of free speech, a more inclusive and collective representation of the citizenry can also be envisioned.… (mais)