Top 10 Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic
Post-diagnosing autism in historical figures (including Thomas Jefferson and Brother Juniper) can be seen as something of a parlor game in which one foists textbook characteristics of autism upon individuals whose neurological make-up we can never really know. Indeed, one can risk reinforcing stereotypes of autism—-of the “idiot savant,” of autistic individuals having a lack of empathy or emotion—and reading “autism characteristic” where there is eccentricity. Nonetheless, for my post for b5media.com’s Science and Health Channel’s September Theme day of “Top 10 Lists,” I have decided to just this by writing the Top 10 Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic. Please note—nota bene—that this is a highly creative (and highly tongue in cheek) effort on my part and that this post makes no claims to historical truth, that it is mere speculation. Caveat, lector!
- Socrates’ repeatedly uttered “for I know nothing” can be seen as an example of perseverative language.
- Socrates’ minimally expressed concern for his wife, Xanthippe, and for his children can be seen as a lack of empathy for others.
- Socrates’ calm and nonchalant attitude about his decision to drink the hemlock and impending death in the face of his followers’ repeated pleas to escape can be seen as an additional lack of empathy for others. (See Phaedo and Crito.)
- Socrates’ lack of concern for his personal appearance and irregular bathing can be seen as evidence of his disregard for social conventions. (See Symposium.)
- Socrates was highly intelligent (in a revolutinoary “genius” way like Isaac Newton).
- Socrates’ dialectical method with its highly analytical and dogged questioning of others in the search of the truth can be seen as a sign of obsessive-compulsiveness.
- Socrates’ overly determined questioning of others can be seen as further evidence for a lack of empathy in the face of the rising discomfort in the other person, and as a sign of inability to read social cues (e.g., to sense when the person he was speaking to had had enough). (See Thrasymachus in the Republic.)
- Socrates had a highly original understanding of the world that led to unique discoveries.
- Socrates was known to occasionally stop in his tracks and “freeze” in order to think through some thought that had come to him—to examine some minute detail that had occurred to him. (See the start of the Symposium).
- Socrates was strange—weird—different—atopos. (See the prologue of the Phaedrus.)
All to be taken with a heavy dose of Socratic irony, of course.
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POSTED IN: Classics, Diagnosis, History, Philosophy, Stereotypes
8 opinions for Top 10 Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic
MRSA Notes » Top Ten Lists at b5media’s Science and Health Channel!
Sep 7, 2006 at 1:00 pm
[…] At Autism Vox, Kristina uses her vast knowledge of philosophy, the classics and autism to propose a very interesting list of Ten Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic. […]
beesharp
Sep 7, 2006 at 5:23 pm
I’m rather skepitcal about this. I’ve noticed too many sites claiming some famous historical person had the disorder with little if any historical research involved. This isn’t to say he didn’t have it persay, but I doubt we have enough material now to confirm or disconfirm this hypothesis.
Socrates’ repeatedly uttered “for I know nothing” can be seen as an example of perseverative language.
Well, you have to butter someone up before making the smackdown :). I think he knew what he was doing when he claiming ignorance. You also have to remember the state of the political climate in ancient Athens, you couldn’t just rudely challenge members of the elite or the Sophists for a debate without getting in to a great deal of conflict and/or other kind of trouble. He might of been eccentric, but he sure as hell put his fingers on the right pulses of others for debate. From my understanding, a lot of this was most likely and act in order to catch people at contradictions, then pwning them by pointing out the problems with their arguments. I just think it’s a miracle he lived that long, and it isn’t like he died young. Perspective changes with age.
Most of this seems more like an modern interpretation that has little to do with any understanding of ancient mindsets of any culture, much less the historical and cultural contexts about ancient Greece. Sounds more like grabbing for straws if you ask me. He was-or at least claimed to be-a big believer in “The social contract”, and considered himself bound to the laws of the place of his birth, to flee would be dishonest, cowardly and wrong, at least in his opinion. Just my two cents. :)
beesharp
Sep 7, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Sorry, missed the note part. Maybe I’m just cranky today.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 8, 2006 at 11:50 am
I was hesitating to put up this post for its obvious anachronisms—-I supposed I’m always glad for an excuse to write about Socrates………
beesharp
Sep 8, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Socrates was cool, so I don’t think you don’t need an excuse. Maybe you could make an off-topic tag or something, but I think philosophy is great, just as long as it doesn’t get into the relativistic post-modernist stuff (unless it’s about critiqueing the arguements some of the pomos make, and there is so much to critique. I hate continental philosophy with a passion).
One of the dialogues my ex-philosophy teacher read from was very entertaining, at least in the way he recited it and talked about the historical and cultural background of it. I hope one of these days a student somewhere records his readings and lectures and posts it somewhere, since we can’t just clone this man (yet) and make them teach in every philosophy class. I wish everyone had access to a good philosophy teacher. I may of not of even considered changing my major to biology midway through working on my now former Associate of Arts degree if it wasn’t for that experience.
Autism Vox » Know Your Autism
Sep 8, 2006 at 4:34 pm
[…] As a coda to yesterday’s Top 10 Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic, the ancient Greek word that is the root of our word “autism”—autos is in the Greek for “Know thyself”: Gnothi sauton. […]
Autism Vox » What’s in a name: The “Hidden Horde,” TV, and a Diagnosis Called Autism
Oct 20, 2006 at 4:48 pm
[…] I have been wondering about this after reading yet another article about the “rising rates of autism diagnoses in America’s children” (see Ped Med: Counting on autism counts, October 19), and also because, being a Classicist, I think constantly of the world of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Just as, I constantly think about autism—-with the result that, I would like to find out if autism has always existed, even before we gave it the name “autism.” (See my rather fanciful post, Top 10 Reasons Why Socrates May Have Been Autistic.) […]
Autism Vox » Diagnosing Mr. Darcy
Apr 8, 2007 at 6:06 pm
[…] Scrivener as potentially being on the autism spectrum; I have fancifully (very fancifully) offered 10 reasons for why Socrates may have been autistic. Such exercises in applying diagnostic criteria to literary texts can perhaps be one way to […]
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