Rockstar and Philosopher: What's In A Name?

A person called a philosopher was many years ago a high honor. Well now if a person is called a rockstar that is the ultimate. A word or a few words to the wise would be enough. I.E. philosopher being replaced by rockstar would speak volumes about the evolution or the devolution of the human.

The last time I saw a rockstar, he was emaciated,raging ,couldn't speak clearly or quietly and looked like he needed a shower with strong cleaning solvents. On the other hand my last experience with a philosopher was reading Plato's accounts of Socratic conversations. Something entirely different. They did share one common thread. Both philosopher Socrates and rockstar indulged in a kind of rage. Both commented on society. But the rockstar's rage was brutal, blurred and hard to follow. The philosopher's rage was thoughtful, thought provoking and pleasant.

Socrates & Rock Stars

The trial of Socrates in 399 B.C. began with this posted indictment:

" Socrates is guilty of refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state and introducing other new divinities. He is also guilty of corrupting the youth. The penalty demanded is death".

The "new divinties" that were the alledged corrupter of youth was his philosophy of questions. This included the questioning of authority which made the powers-that- be in Athens nervous. And so the indictment, the trial and the death of Socrates by drinking the poison hemlock. Now some 2500 years later, the present questioners of all authority take the form of members of all branches of our government, Wall Street manipulators and "rock stars".

No they are not going to drink hemlock as their punishment. But instead they will be bribed, well bonused or sell out stadiums. Somewhere in between the fates of noble Socrates and our present day trash should be the proper reward for questioning authority.