The Philosopher and the City: On the Possibility of a New Socrates

Abstract

This study seeks to reflect on a paradigmatic conceptual pair: the philosopher and the city. This duality invites a reconsideration of the historically fraught relationship between philosophy and the public civic sphere through a hermeneutic approach that we employ to uncover the assumptions and stakes underlying the remarkable encounter between Socrates—the paradigm of philosophy—and Athens—the paradigm of the democratic city. Such a hermeneutic perspective enables us to deconstruct the structural logic that underpins not only ancient Athens but also contemporary democratic societies that resemble it. It likewise opens the way to a critical reassessment of the philosopher's position and mission today, a mission that rekindles an enduring commitment to the Socratic legacy. The central argument advanced in this article is that Socrates is not merely a figure of philosophy's past; he is, with equal force, a figure of its future