The Speech of Callicles

The Speech of Callicles

After reading "The Speech of Callicles" I noticed that Philosophers were not what I originally thought they were. I have always pictured them being men who were ahead of there time. Who were searching for the answers to life. In the first paragraph these beliefs I once had about philosophy were changed. Callicles states that Philosophers would get into pointless arguments about the problems of everyday life rather than look for the truth. They would also attempt to make a man who doesn't study philosophy but studies practical affairs second guess himself. No matter what side of the argument the man would speak about the philosopher would take the other side. The distinction made in paragraph one is that nature and custom are antagonistic to each other. Nature being the order and behavior of all living things that make up the universe, and custom meaning the everyday habits that have fallen upon society. I feel that they are antagonistic of each other. I imagine nature to be all that there is that we don't really have control over, and custom to be all things that we have adapted to. With this being the case the philosopher would flip from debating the custom with the nature and vice versa. It almost seems as if the philosophers would get a kick out of just arguing with someone who doesn't know any better rather than educating them on the real truth of the matter.

In the second paragraph Callicles states that by going against conventional theory a man should feel ashamed. What I understood from this is that feeling ashamed is not standing for what you truly believe is right and letting someone who might sound right convince you that you're wrong without giving you any real sources or concrete facts about the matter. He gives an example of an argument regarding whether it is better to do wrong or to suffer wrong. By doing wrong you are going against convention and feel ashamed. But to answer it is better to suffer wrong there is no need to feel ashamed because although you have not done wrong, suffering wrong I feel is worse than feeling ashamed and should not be apart of what makes us who we are. A man can not sit there and allow himself to suffer a wrong, if such is the case than he is not a man. It is going against nature for a man to be such a submissive creature. Throughout time man has strived to be more dominant and ruling.

I think when Callicles says "it is unnatural for a man to be so subservient a creature, so the weak frame laws to keep the strong in tow", he means that since it will be only natural for the strong to want to rule and dominate, the weak make laws to try to even the playing field. The weak don't make the laws to try and rule and they don't necessarily benefit from them, but form them in an attempt to keep society more balanced. Callicles says "It is only natural for the nobler and superior man to dominate and rule over the weak and inferior". I agree with this statement. In human societies and even animals, you can tell who is the stronger and more superior of the species. Not always by just the appearance but other characteristics such as how they act and how they carry themselves. I believe that someone can't learn to be a leader or learn to be dominant but is born with it, hence the term "born leader". Someone might learn leadership but the ones that it comes naturally to will always shine through.

I feel philosophy does have it s limited usefulness. At a younger age philosophy is healthy. It opens your eyes to different views on life and the manner in which one should live. Philosophy opens the door to understanding life and once the door is opened it is unnecessary to continue studying philosophy. People must start at and early age and not forget the teachings of philosophy but to apply it and use it as a tool towards