ANNE-MARIE BOWERYSocrates tells. Though Crito still does not know how to educate his sons,
his behavior in the enacted frame helps the dialogic audience recognize
the pedagogical motivation of Socrates’ narrative performance.
Seeing Socrates Differently
In recent years, the concept of rationality has undergone a radical reas-
sessment. In fi elds ranging from neuroscience to economics and biology
to psychology, it is becoming increasingly clear that human choice is
motivated by a wide range of factors.^36 Even within philosophical cir-
cles, the primacy of Cartesian rationalism is under revision.^37 Unfor-
tunately, some scholars still regard Plato and Socrates as philosophers
who are deeply suspicious of emotional experience and the role it plays
in philosophy. Martha Nussbaum’s portrait of Socrates in Cultivating
Humanity typifi es this view.^38 She regards Socrates as a benefi cial peda-
gogical model precisely because he exemplifi es a rigorous commitment
to rational self-examination.^39 Many other scholars of ancient thought
either tacitly or explicitly share Nussbaum’s characterization of Socratic
philosophy.^40 Careful attention to Socrates’ narrative remarks cautions
us against holding this narrow view of Socratic rationality, however, be-
cause it is clear that Socrates the narrator focuses on the emotional
states of the interlocutors as well as on their logical argumentation. In
this section, I analyze three dramatic markers of intense emotional re-
sponses that Socrates includes in his narratives: the eroticism of these
narrated dialogues, numerous instances of blushing, and several exam-
ples of laughter.^41
The erotic dimensions of these narrative dialogues give one ob-
vious indication of the importance of emotion in Socrates’ narrative
portrayal of his philosophical practice. Here I will simply focus on the
instances in which Socrates describes the lover-beloved relationship to
provide insight into the emotions and motivations of the characters
whose activities he reports in the narratives that he tells.
Throughout the Lysis, Socrates’ interest in the erotic emerges.
Socrates changes his original plan of action once the erotic interest of
Hippothales manifests itself.^42 This strong interest in eros continues.
For example, he tells Hippothales “that there is no longer any need for
you to tell me whether you are in love or not, since I am sure you are
not only in love, but pretty far gone in it too by this time. For though in
most matters I am a poor useless creature, yet by some means or other
I have received from heaven the gift of being able to detect at a glance