Socrates In The Clouds Analysis

Inside the pages of the Greek poet Aristophanes’ Clouds, the reader will find a drastically different portrayal of the philosopher Socrates than one would inside the pages of the Republic. In the play, Socrates is completely unaware of his surroundings, and is able to justify purposely making just actions stronger than just actions. The main character, Strepsiades, initially seeks the help of Socrates because he knows Socrates will provide him with the skills to avoid paying back his debts to the city. Even though Plato’s Socrates in The Republic would probably not agree, the philosophic life described in books V-VI of The Republic resembles the philosophic life demonstrated by Aristophanes’ Socrates in the Clouds.
According to Aristophanes in the comedy Clouds, the philosopher’s way of life is merely to acquire as much
knowledge as possible. However, the knowledge that Aristophanes attributes to them is useless knowledge, such as investigating “how many of its own feet a flea could leap” (145). They do not care about the wellbeing of others or for the city, and are not interested in making these things better. In the Clouds, Socrates and his companions seem to desire nothing but knowledge. They do not take care of themselves, as Aristophanes says they appear as though they have not eaten in weeks. When Strepsiades first enters the thinkery, a student of Socrates claims that “yesterday evening there was no dinner” (175), so Socrates had to steal in order that they had something to eat that night. They only look down to the ground, or up to the sky, and not at the things going on around them. Socrates claims that he “treads on air and contemplates the sun” (225), and Strepsiades uneasily says that Socrates “looks down of the gods” by doing this (227). Because of this, Socrates and his companions are disposed to disobey the laws of the city. They disregard divine and civil authorities, so there is no basis upon which they feel they need to obey the laws. Socrates even goes as far as telling Strepsiades that “Zeus doesn’t even exist” (367).
Socrates and his companions seem as though, even if they do not intend to, they are harmless to the city of Athens. Historically, the city of Athens would have been engaged in a war during the period that this play was taking place. Socrates is not interested in making himself a better soldier or citizen; he is barely even aware that the war is taking place. In the Clouds, the pursuit of the truth is in contention with the good of the city, and Aristophanes portrays Socrates as blind to the ways in which the city allows him to do what he is doing. In The Republic, the philosophers do not need to be soldiers, because there is an entire other class of citizens that the city deems better to protect than those who are philosophers. The basis of the city in The Republic is that there are certain people who are better fit to do certain things, so that each person does not need to be involved in everything. Aristophanes seems to support a more well-rounded citizen, where each young person is taught using ancient education so that they are better for the city as a whole.
Although Socrates would probably not agree with Aristophanes, the portrayal of the philosophical life that is found in books V-VI of The Republic is similar in a few ways to the philosophic life described by Aristophanes.
In book V, Socrates says that philosophers are “insatiable in their approach to learning” (475c). Adeimantus continues and says that those who are brought up in the philosophical life “become quite queer, not to say completely vicious” (487d), and the men in Aristophanes’ Thinkery are quite queer indeed. Socrates also presents the philosopher in the image of the “Ship’s Captain”, in which the philosopher will not rule unless he is asked (488a). Plato and Aristophanes both would most likely agree that the philosopher seeks out knowledge in all things, but they do not seem to agree whether that is a good thing or not. Socrates in The Republic seems to want what is best for the city politically, which he believes would be the philosopher-king. Aristophanes uses Socrates’ lack of political involvement to show that what is best for the city is to follow ancient custom and education in order to continue the traditions of the
city.