Jesus, Socrates and Paul

Professor J. Rufus Fears is professor of classics at the Univ. of Ok. he earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University, a 15-time award winner for outstanding teaching, and 3-times winner of "Professor of the Year" at the Univ. of Ok. He has written four books and over 70 articles

"history is made by great individuals and great events, not by anonymous social and economic forces"
- J. Rufus Fears
jesus and socartes were two of the worlds greatest teachers.
socrates founded the modern university.
jesus founded christianity.

both were unconventional
they received no salary
held no office
had no credentials
teaching was a vocation not a career
a "career" is not a calling, but a way to get somewhere (carriere, a highway)
a true philosopher is a lover of wisdom
such love of wisdom has nothing in comon with the modern academic discipline of philosophy

information is facts
knowledge is placing these facts into an interpretative framework
wisdom is the use of this knowledge to live your life in a moral fashion

jesus had no interest in the poliical kingdom of god
his kingdom of god was in the individuals soul
both socrates fought against the "known" and taught through refutation, contradiction and parables.

ambiguity was a means of forcing the individual to his or her own ethical decision
but only after they had been exposed to morals, and situations which pointed a way, indicated a direction which could be found by the individual within themselves

socrates asked questions
he did not lecture
his questions indicated an answer
his questions indicated directions of inquiry where the "answer" could be found

neither jesus nor socrates published
publishing is an act of implicit finality
publishing suggest that you know the truth
yet,
the true philosopher is always searching for the truth
and in this search there is only searching
as there is no earthly finality

both socrates and jesus directed their messages of individual salvation to societies that were communally based
both socrates and jesus went out of their way to be in conflict wiht their peers
sophist (socrates) and pharasees (jesus)

the trials of socrates and jesus were both "legal" and reflected the ideal of liberty under law
socrates was charged with blasphemy or atheism
or, refusing to believe in the gods of athens and corruption of the young

jesus was charged wiht blashphemy before the jewish sanhedrin
and treason for claiming to be the king of the jews before he governor pontius pilate
history teaches us, that if you want to bring someone down, you slander them and charge them with treason.

the basis of treason is always a lie
and the charge is not based on what they said
rather, the opposite of what they said and intended
it's the effect of their words, not the words which are the basis of the charge

both socrates and jesus were "innocent" of the charges
both refused to refute the charges
they refused to believe they had to defend themselves against lies
and so they said nothing
and this is what sealed their fate