Socrates’ Questuniverse, his idea of philosophy was not of inevitable progress
towards the bright stars of certainty and illumination, but was
a dawning awareness that the forces that shape the world stem
from dark masses and unknown energies. He resisted the accolade
because it smacked of hubris, the very thing that he suspected
was going wrong with the discourse and politics of the still newly
democratic Athens.
But what then should he make of the oracle? The Pythia could
be lying. Argument in Athens was a competitive business, with
fortunes made or lost as reputations waxed and waned. It was not
beyond the bounds of possibility that a rival Sophist had taken the
opportunity to speak with an attendant priest. A suitably compli-
ant chap might have ‘interpreted’ the oracle for Chaerephon. The
rival’s hope might have been that a divine declaration of Socrates’
supremacy would make the young upstart look ridiculous.
More likely, though, the oracle was a puzzle. It must be put to
the test. So Socrates decided he would search Athens to see if he
could fi nd someone who was wiser than he.
He went fi rst to speak to Anytus, a well-known Athenian and
rising political star. He was thought to be talented, and indeed
thought himself very able. If Anytus proved wiser than Socrates,
then the oracle would be refuted. He asked the politician questions
about what was just and pious, and beautiful and good – standard
fare for someone whose business was inspiring the masses in this
democratic city. But Socrates discovered that Anytus’ wisdom was
fl aky. Worse, he believed the myth of his own brilliance. This man
was not wiser than Socrates because he was not wise at all.
The fi rst test had failed. But it did give Socrates a clue as to
the meaning of the riddle. Anytus knew nothing worthwhile
but thought he did. This differed from Socrates who knew he
knew nothing. ‘So I am likely to be wiser than he is to this small
extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.’
One fool does not condemn an entire class, so Socrates
went to speak with another politician, and another, systemati-
cally working his way through the leaders of the Assembly. No
one passed the test: ‘I found that those who had the highest