By Klaus Döring
“The unexamined life is not worth living” is a famous dictum supposedly uttered by Socrates at his trial for impiety and corrupting youth, for which he was subsequently sentenced to death.
This statement relates to Socrates’ understanding and attitude towards death and his commitment to fulfilling his goal of investigating and understanding the statement of the Pythia (i.e., that there was no one wiser than Socrates). Socrates understood Pythia’s response to Chaerephon’s question as a communication from the god Apollo and this became Socrates’s prime directive, his raison d’être. For Socrates, to be separated from elenchus by exile (preventing him from investigating the statement) was therefore a fate worse than death. Since Socrates was religious and trusted his religious experiences, such as his guiding daimonic voice, he accordingly preferred to continue to seek the truth to the answer to his question, in the after-life, than live a life not identifying the answer on earth.
The words were supposedly spoken by Socrates at his trial after he chose death, rather than exile. They represent (in modern terms) the noble choice, that is, the choice of death in the face of an alternative.
Socrates believed that philosophy – the love of wisdom – was the most important pursuit above all else. For some, he exemplifies more than anyone else in history the pursuit of wisdom through questioning and logical argument, by examining and by thinking. His “examination” of life in this way spilled out into the lives of others, such that they began their own “examination” of life, but he knew they would all die one day, as saying that a life without philosophy – an “unexamined” life – was not worth living.
I remember the time, when one of my first Japanese friends kept on complaining, why I didn’t operate a cellphone. Believe me, during that time, sometime in 2000 or 2001, I was even typing my articles on an old typewriter from Germany.
My Japanese friend then bought me a computer – and a cellphone! Some other friends congratulated me: “Welcome back to the world!” That was in 2001.
Sometimes, I observed (business-)people operating with two or even more cellphones at the same time. I asked them: “How did you survive doing business before without these units?” Believe me or not. The answers have been mostly: I really don’t know!
Doing business nowadays without a cellphone? Even a very private life? I can’t imagine it anymore. Philippines’ cellphone companies really provide us with the widest distribution and the broadest coverage to very affordable charges. I really enjoy, for example, the unlimited call experience – just to mention one.
Two handsets or even three. Ok lang, as long as it keeps my business running.
But then it happened! I thought I had lost my cellphone. I panic, losing all my important connections. This “thing” really has a special meaning for me. And here we are: not only for business. Just even for a short “Hi – kumusta ka?” I really felt lonely!
A couple of hours later, I found IT. Misplaced somewhere in the bathroom under a towel in a silent mood. Four miscalls (yipee!), several text messages. Not only “Hi – kumusta ka?” A special evening meeting had to be confirmed. I only have one big problem. I need a translator, if the words of text messages indeed go weird.
Allow me to quote Philippine Star columnist Igan D’Bayan, who wrote some years ago: “We don’t speak like Hamlet any more. Most of us speak Taglish and write in Filipinized English. And while holding a mobile phone, we type ‘2b or not 2b’. And that’s supposition!”
Btw (‘by the way’), during night time, I turn off my cellphone. How about you?
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