Practical and Cultured?

[Holysahib]

Hardly makes any difference since Plato wrote down a lot of what he said (or what Plato wanted him to say).

Exactly, Socrates as historical figure vs. Socrates as a literary device exempt from criticism.
I suddenly see a interesting parallel between Socrates and Jezus...

[Conradus]

Exactly, Socrates as historical figure vs. Socrates as a literary device exempt from criticism.
I suddenly see a interesting parallel between Socrates and Jezus...

Nevermind now that most of what we know of Socrates as a historical figure comes from Plato too ;) (

[Apázlinemjó]

Nevermind now that most of what we know of Socrates as a historical figure comes from Plato too ;) (

Xenophon wrote about him too, didn't he?

[Conradus]

Xenophon wrote about him too, didn't he?

Yes he did, that work is called the apomneumaneumatha sokratou or something like that :p
And there were some others as well, but Plato's still the main source.

[Aemilius Paulus]

I suddenly see a interesting parallel between Socrates and Jezus...

Not just them. A great deal of the founders of philosophical/religious movements did not write their thoughts down. Lao Tzu for instance, has a story about him that he was leaving China and the border-guard, after quite a bit of persuading, finally talked him into writing down his beliefs. Yet Old Master's writings spanned only ~500 words. Which sort of fits the Taoist idea of wu-wei (non-action) principle.

Or so the story goes, which is thought to be true, but I am not entirely sure here. Well, at least Huston Smith said it was true, and the only person greater than him in his field would be Joseph Campbell, who did not mention this story.