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Sunday, 04 July 2010 |
Socrates came upon an
acquaintance that ran up to him excitedly and said, “Do you know what I just
heard about one of your students?” “Just a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before
you tell me I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Test of Three.
“The first test is Truth. Are you sure that what you will say is true? “Oh no,”
the man said, “Actually I just heard about it.” “So you don’t really know if
it’s true, Socrates said. Now let’s try the second test, the test of Goodness.
Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?” “No, on the
contrary..” “So,” Socrates interrupted, “you want to tell me something bad about
him even though you’re not certain it’s true?” The man shrugged, rather
embarrassed. Socrates continued. “You may still pass though, because there is a
third test, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my
student going to be useful to me at all?” “Well it ..no, not really..” “Well,
concluded Socates, “If what you want to tell me is neither True nor good nor
ever Useful, why tell it to me at all?” The man was defeated and ashamed. This
is the reason Socrates was held in such high esteem. It also explains why he
never found out what Plato was up to.
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