Socrates and Philocetes

Philosophy

Isolation in Philosophical Tales and Modern Day Examples

Socrates and Philoctetes are examples of characters in philosophy books who experienced isolation, both physically and mentally. While both men had different experiences, the end results were the same. They felt alone and spent long periods of time thinking about their lives. In the end, they were depressed and felt lost. The stories focused on how isolation changed their lives for the worse.

Today, there are millions of people who feel isolated from the world in similar ways. Some feel disconnected from society, while others are physically separated from mankind. This paper discusses the ideas of isolation presented by philosophical tales and how these ideas apply to isolation situations today.

In the Apology, Socrates becomes isolated when he tried to discover the truth about himself. His main goal was to prove the Delphi oracle's statement that Socrates is indeed the wisest man alive. Socrates believed that, if this were indeed true, it was only because he achieved self-awareness. He said, "when I do not know, neither do I think I know; so I am likely to be wiser...to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know" (Brickhouse and Smith, 1989).

Socrates wanted to improve life for his fellow citizens. However, his quest to achieve this goal led to his isolation from these people. Socrates began his downfall when he took it upon himself to teach the state's youth. He was sharply criticized by the people for poisoning the minds of the young people. However, when asked to explain himself, Socrates was adamant that there was no way he could have single-handedly corrupted the state's youth. He felt that it was impossible for one person to even reach all of these children. In addition, he strongly felt that education could not corrupt people -- it could only help the learn to think for themselves.

Socrates further alienated himself when it was discovered that he did not share the same belief in the gods that everyone else did. He never actually said that he didn't believe in them. Rather, he questioned their existence. He would not say that he fully believed; rather, he said that he does believe in divine beings and, if divine beings were indeed gods, then he must believe in the gods. This was unacceptable to the judge and jury, who wanted everyone to believe in the gods wholeheartedly.

Because of his beliefs, Socrates felt mentally isolated from his community, as they rejected him. This frequently happens to mentally ill people in today's society. A report by the mental health charity MIND (2007) recently surveyed 532 mental health service users and found that 84% felt isolated. When compared to one third of the general population, this number is alarming.

A lack of relationships and social support, stigma and discrimination were reported as the key factors causing this sense of isolation (MIND, 2007). MIND's chief executive Richard Brook said: "Many people with mental health problems are still condemned to a life of social segregation because of a vicious cycle of isolation worsened by stigma and prejudice."

Philoctetes experienced isolation in a different way that Socrates did. Philoctetes, the son of a poor villager, possessed a passion and talent for hunting, despite his family's warnings. When he helped the god Hercules die gracefully, Philoctetes inherited the hero's weapons and became an even greater hunter.

Unfortunately, Philoctetes' talents led him down the path of war (Lloyd-Jones, 1994). He was a witness and participant to bloodshed, plunder and rape. Eventually, he became so disgusted with himself that he decided to punish himself for his sins by allowing a poisonous snake to bite him. As a result, he was shipped off to the isolated island of Lemnos, where he was physically isolated from the rest of the world for nine years. During this time, all he could do was think about his life and his crimes, which was sort of a self-punishment for his sinful existence.

I think that this type of physical isolation can be very damaging to a person. Today, many prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for days, completely cut off from all social activities and human contact. Isolation in prison means 23 hours a day in a concrete cell no larger than a bathroom. One hour a day is spent alone in a small concrete room. Most inmates held in solitary confinement have no contact with the outside world other than mail.

This is unhealthy, as people need to feel like they are a part of something. Most people would agree that, at time, they crave solitude. However, most would agree that too much solitude can cause depression, anxiety, and perhaps even make one feel crazy. Without social contact, human beings are likely to question their own existence and ideas of reality. Like Philoctetes, people in solitary confinement are likely to start questioning their existence and obsessing over the actions in their lives. Everyone needs some social interaction to keep them satisfied, stable, and sane, as human beings are social beings by nature.

Prisoner advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch have asked the government to end long-term isolation, arguing that it may make inmates more violent and render them unable to rejoin society (Sullivan, 2006). However, prison officials and correctional officers say isolation units are necessary, as the people who are sent to solitary confinement pose a threat to themselves, guards, and other people in the prison.