Book Review: Conversations of Socrates by Xenophon

Conversations of Socrates by Xenophon

Socrates is one of those historical characters who is famous but never wrote anything himself, so people rely on others' testimonies. Plato is the most famous source, though scholars readily acknowledge that after the first couple of writings, Socrates turns into a mouthpiece for Plato's philosophy rather than Socrates' own. Aristophanes wrote a satirical play with Socrates portrayed in a lesser light. Xenophon, like Plato, was a follower of Socrates. He wrote several Socratic dialogues, collected here.

First is "Socrates' Defense," a recounting of Socrates's trial when he was accused of impiety and corrupting youth. Socrates cites examples of him offering gifts to the Athenian gods and that he has always taught that people, especially youth, might improve themselves. He's a bit arrogant and might come off as self-righteous. Even so, Socrates does not resist the death sentence, claiming it is better to die under the law (even with a false accusation) than to live to old age where his faculties will deteriorate. He offers no alternate punishment and refuses to let his friends do so. The style of writing is not as polished and vivid as Plato's, who presents Socrates with a more humble attitude toward the jury and accusers. Also, Plato's Socrates says nothing about senility while accepting the judgment of the state.

Second is "Memoirs of Socrates," a collection of random dialogues where Socrates investigates various topics. Socrates asks a lot of questions, looking to find the truth. The topics ramble a bit and there is some repeated material from other works. Each little section has some moral or some opinion that Socrates wants to get across, almost like Aesop's fables with people rather than animals. This part is interesting enough but has nothing great to offer.

Third is "The Dinner-Party." After a meal and a libation to the gods, the attendees discuss various subjects and entertainers perform. In this text, Callias, an ambitious but young man, invites Socrates and his friends to a dinner party to show off his learning. Others state their finest abilities as a young couple provides acrobatic and musical entertainment. The narrative has less of the moralizing of the "Memoirs" and has some nice, funny moments. It touches on love, like Plato's Symposium (another dinner party narrative), but not in nearly as much depth.

Fourth is "The Estate-Manager," a discussion about managing one's possessions well. Socrates plays the usual naive interlocutor. The first part has a discussion with Critobulus, where Socrates clarifies that the best possessions are what are useful to the owner. Also, hard work and self-discipline are the key to success in estate management and life in general. He gets into more detail in the second part where Socrates recalls a conversation with Ischomachus, a farmer reputed to be a "good man." Ischomachus describes how he trained his wife to managed the household, how they both govern their slaves, and some technical bits about farming. The Isomachus discussion is interesting as he is the active questioner/explainer and Socrates has the passive learner part in the dialogue.

This book is interesting as a different perspective on Socrates, though the editor comments that, like with Plato, often Socrates is more of a mouthpiece for Xenophon's ideas than for Socrates. I found it interesting as a student of philosophy but probably won't reread it.

Mildly recommended.