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@ Tex Shepherd
2025-05-15 22:48:42
In Cratylus, Plato argues that names are not random but reveal the essence of things, and that letters in names can be added, dropped, or rearranged for euphony. Applying this idea, it’s plausible that the name Socrates (Σωκράτης) is a shortened form of Sophia-krates—meaning “power of wisdom” , “rule of wisdom”, or maybe even "power of sophistry", "rule of sophistry." This reinterpretation fits Plato’s portrayal of Socrates perfectly: not as someone with political might, but as a man whose strength lay in his pursuit and embodiment of wisdom.
Likewise, Solon (Σόλων), the famous Athenian lawgiver, may be a shortened form of Sophōn, meaning “the wise one.” While traditional etymologies link his name to words meaning “whole” or “safe,” these ideas often overlap with ancient concepts of wisdom and soundness. Given Solon’s role as a sage, reformer, and moral teacher, “the wise one” captures his identity far more directly, and is of the same archetype of Solomon.
Both names, when reexamined through Plato’s own linguistic lens, seem to encode their deeper philosophical roles: Socrates as the strength of wisdom in action, and Solon as wisdom in law.