The Final Philosophy Lecture: Can A Mortal Really Achieve “A Good Life” 

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There's a sandy haze in the air, not hard to breath, but just enough to entrench your vision. As I'm walking through Athens everyone appears unhappy and depressed. Everyone is so stressed in the market, everything to just make a day's worth of pay… if they're lucky. As I'm approaching the lecture hall it is very apparent the students are eager to learn, but I get poor looks from the rest of society. People are afraid of education.

 As I enter the front of the hall ready to present the sense of uncertainty is strong in the air… The perfect environment for learning. I spark an early point and question to the students: “To really understand any issue we need to unpack it, address it, and understand all of the alternative perceptions and views. Put yourself in your friend’s skin, live their life, see their personal problems, struggles and heartache. Can you do that, can you tell me what's going to happen tomorrow?, or where we really go when we die? These are questions that need to be answered.” The room is loud in confusion. My favorite “student,” “Plato,” is the only one who has the capability to understand this. I think to myself: the rest of the class are like rats. Slow and confused, only good for collecting cheese.  I must continue and not waste any time. 

On with the lecture…”Remember my method of dialect, let's utilize and expose it in a simple “manner,”  I was harsh on the other students before. Not all of them are rats; when it comes to my socratic method they are. Except Plato of course. “How do we define life? How do we achieve a good life? What is good? Who draws the lines to what is good and what is bad? How can we really understand what is good, if one hasn't experienced bad?” Once again there is silence across the room. The sun is beating through the window and against the wall. I point to it, and ask, “Can you prove this real… The Sun, is it real?  I watch over the class and observe the students. They’re faces are in disbelief, confusion, but the same confusion as I'm used to, this was fright. I did not expect this, maybe they weren't ready… As I pause when going to my next point I remember, No mercy, education must continue. 

 

If you commit crime are you bad? I hammer my students with questions, it became too personal too fast.. “ If law is supposed to encourage and guide the majority of society to a prosperous and crime free life. More importantly law is supposed to stop and guide one from wrongdoing. But who decided these laws”?” Who decided that one must be guided away from wrongdoing. Was it the gods? Is this Zues’ or Poseidon’s wishes? Or is our society trying to silence and control us”?” My theory believes that there is a divine being of everything. Therefore there is a divine being of your chair, this lecture, the food you ate this morning, even the great gods. One might ask, “why do I believe there is a divine being in every aspect of the world?” The simple answer is why haven't you thought of a divine being for  everything? Are you really happy with everything? Or are you just settling for what is around you?”. I pant and can feel my heart beating through my chest. That angered me in a different way. I quickly bring myself back to composure. I don’t feel the same as before. The majority of society is afraid of me. Now my students appear the same. All of a sudden, tw get up and leave. I ask why, their eyes are shaking, as they look back. I say “go on leave if you want.” Their mouth opens slightly and they mumble out gibberish,  and run off in fear. I am confused. Is it really this hard to wrap your mind around. I tell my students leave if they want. Everyone except Plato gets up and leaves in panic. A manor of panic similar to  as if the walls to this very classroom fell to the ground. Plato is the only one who stayed. I ask if he's okay? Plato responds yes and continue… I will carry your message, as we both know a trial is to come.” 

  

A sense of depression washes over me. But the internal thought of providing education is a burning itch inside my bones. “Why can anyone be so foolish to believe that they know all and end all?” “What do I mean by that? Well, I specifically mean the construct and norms we all follow. As we know, what separates man from god is the fact that mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. “The great gods: Zues, Hercules, and Poseidon, Gods” are the eternal power, they decide our livelihood. Or that is what everyone believes? What happens if you created your own thought?” What happens if you created your own thoughts and did not follow what everyone else does? “Plato”, answer.” He mumbles out, “I-I-I don't kno.” I cut him off and I told him it results in death. As he said before “a trial is soon” and I told Plato he must carry my message as I am going to face death for my crimes.  Now it is my time to reach a divine being. Maybe death is the way to achieve a good life. Maybe we need to escape this prison of a world to really grow,  to really achieve a good life.