Socrates’ Questsigns that showed, which the wise pondered greatly. Like paying
an expert today, the real benefi t might not be in the advice itself
so much as in the commitment to the consultation process. The
oracle/therapist says ‘x’ and ‘not x’, and thereby sets an agenda.
The advice provides an authoritative, unsettling point of refer-
ence that can then be talked around.
Even to those who would say it is folly, the oracle might reply,
‘well, yes’. It instantiates the folly of seeking certainty in life. Its
unknown unknowns put human credulity centre stage. Instead, it
suggests a path in between a believer’s certainty and an unbeliev-
er’s cynicism that simultaneously mirrors the in-between reality
of the human condition. Little wonder that Socrates should come
to appreciate the fullness of his vocation through the voice of an
oracle. Experientially, an oracle is not unlike his philosophy.
Know thyself
The oracle can tell us more still about Socrates. Consider the
two inscriptions on the temple at Delphi. They were said to
encapsulate the wisdom of the Seven Wise Men, a traditional
if variable list of the most outstanding intellects of ancient
Greece, usually including Thales, the fi rst philosopher. ‘Nothing
in excess’ is generally taken as advocating moderation. ‘Know
thyself’ meant ‘know you are not a god before you enter this
temple’. What Socrates does is internalise these commands
and transform them from warnings into a quest. ‘Nothing in
excess’ comes to commend a moderate regard for oneself. ‘Know
thyself’ becomes the imperative to understand yourself. In these
two maxims one fi nds another summary of his philosophy.
They pose the question of how one can know oneself and high-
light how hard it is to understand and accept the uncertainty
of the human condition. For if the human condition is one of
uncertainty, then the question, ‘who am I?’, is frightening. It is
elusive and will never, fi nally, be settled.
The ancients, it seems, were fascinated by such questions.
Evidence of popular tips, perhaps not entirely unlike those that