(Original Review, 2002-06-23)

Socrates was also interesting because of his physicality....His routine was to spend the morning exercising then the afternoon in the market place on his mission. He was extremely fit and brave, fighting in three campaigns, the last aged 50, and honoured for his bravery in battle. He was terrifying apparently. Also he had a kind of walk that was unusual, a kind of gait that would strike fear into potential enemies. This is not your usual philosopher as we have come to know them (bookish, lovers not fighters - think Bertrand Russell). It is strange to me that so little is written about Socrates and exercises - what kind of exercises did he do? Surely like many highly spiritual people today, the body was an important aspect of spiritual practise (yoga, etc.)

One place that we do hear stuff like this in the Timeaus - in the third section - there is talk that is much like the Chakra system or Chi Kung. As someone who has developed practise over the years in these directions I can recognise it immediately...For example, there is talk of two invisible channels either side of the spine - like water courses. Connected to this is his daimon.....what was it? Well it was a sign (not a voice in the head telling him things - this is not a case of schizophrenia), a sign that he followed in matters big or small. It would stop him mid sentence, and it did not stop him from going to his death...i.e., IT LED HIM TO HIS DEATH.

It was his inner moral guide that he always obeyed. This in itself was not a dangerous thing to Athenian society, what was dangerous was if he also taught others that they too have a daimon, and that all the daimons work together for the good of the whole, and they should ALWAYS be obeyed when they call.

Did he teach this? - Well, Plato doesn't say so but given that this (by hypothesis) was the reason for his execution, then of course Plato wouldn't have been allowed to transmit this teaching in writing.

Anyway there you go! Enough conversation of Socrates. ( )