[Book Review] Ken Nishi, "Separate Volume NHK 100 Minutes on Classics: School of Reading, Ken Nishi Special Lecture 'Apology of Socrates'"

Finished reading Ken Nishi's "Separate Volume NHK 100 Minutes on Classics: School of Reading, Ken Nishi Special Lecture 'Apology of Socrates'." *This article contains some affiliate links.

Why is philosophy necessary now?

This book points out that the society of ancient Athens where Socrates lived and the modern world we live in are both eras where values are significantly shaken.
Just as it was in Athens at that time, we in the modern day are also prone to losing sight of what is truly "good" due to conflicts on social media and social division.
It made me keenly realize that it is precisely because we live in such an era that the importance of philosophy is increasing.

What left a particularly strong impression on me was the passage: "Perhaps philosophy is unnecessary when you clearly understand what is good through experience. However, when 'what is good and why it is good' becomes hazy, you lose your energy. That is when philosophy becomes necessary."
It resonated deeply with me that philosophy is what supports us to stand on our own feet and think about things deeply in this modern age where values we once took for granted are being shaken.

An easy-to-understand guide to 'awareness of not knowing'

This book also provides an extremely clear explanation of 'awareness of not knowing,' which is the core of the 'Apology of Socrates'.
When I learned about the difference from 'Socratic ignorance' in Noburu Notomi's 'The Birth of Philosophy: Who is Socrates?', I felt overwhelmed by its profundity, but this book offers a more accessible explanation.

In particular, the explanation that 'ignorance' is not merely a state of not knowing, but a 'shameful state of believing you know when you actually do not,' and that it is distinguished from 'not knowing,' was very convincing.

'Care for the soul' and philosophical dialogue as practice

The book also carefully discusses 'care for the soul,' another important theme of the 'Apology of Socrates'.
It might be a bit off the mark, but I felt it also underlies the philosophy of Eiichi Shibusawa's 'The Analects and the Abacus,' which valued morality. It teaches the universal importance of polishing one's own soul.

Furthermore, the strength of this book is that it does not leave these ideas as mere knowledge but translates them into a concrete practical method called 'philosophical dialogue.' Compared to the philosophical dialogue introduced in Ken Nishi's 'NHK 100 Minutes on Classics: Husserl's The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology,' the tips for dialogue presented in this book were more practical and made me want to try them with others right away.

Through dialogue with others, both diversity and commonality become visible.
While this book is a commentary on a classic, it was also an excellent book of practice that points out concrete ways to live better.

Click here for the review of Noburu Notomi's translation of 'Apology of Socrates'.