SeventhValley

Baha'u'llah says the following about Socrates


Methinks he drank one draught when the Most Great Ocean overflowed with gleaming and life-giving waters. He it is who perceived a unique, a tempered, and a pervasive nature in things, bearing the closest likeness to the human spirit, and he discovered this nature to be distinct from the substance of things in their refined form. He hath a special pronouncement on this weighty theme. Wert thou to ask from the worldly wise of this generation 147 about this exposition, thou wouldst witness their incapacity to grasp it. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth but most people comprehend not.---Baha'u'llah: Tablet of Wisdom


So is Socrates a Prophet or more like a Abdu'l Baha of his time?

arthra

Socrates was a spiritual philosopher...


Consider Hippocrates, the physician. He was one of the eminent philosophers who believed in God and acknowledged His sovereignty. After him came Socrates who was indeed wise, accomplished and righteous. He practised self-denial, repressed his appetites for selfish desires and turned away from material pleasures. He withdrew to the mountains where he dwelt in a cave. He dissuaded men from worshipping idols and taught them the way of God, the Lord of Mercy, until the ignorant rose up against him. They arrested him and put him to death in prison. Thus relateth to thee this swift-moving Pen. What a penetrating vision into philosophy this eminent man had! He is the most distinguished of all philosophers and was highly versed in wisdom

~ Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 146


Thus Socrates the wise believed in the unity of God and the existence of the soul after death; as his opinion was contrary to that of the narrow-minded people of his time, that divine sage was poisoned by them.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to August Forel, p. 13



It is as thou hast written, not philosophers in general but narrow- minded materialists that are meant. As to deistic philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, they are indeed worthy of esteem and of the highest praise, for they have rendered distinguished services to mankind. In like manner we regard the materialistic, accomplished, moderate philosophers, that have been of service (to mankind).

~ Compilations, Baha'i World Faith, p. 337




In all lines of advancement which characterize a progressive people they achieved distinction. In the splendor of the reign of Solomon their sciences and arts advanced to such a degree that even the Greek philosophers journeyed to Jerusalem to sit at the feet of the Hebrew sages and acquire the basis of Israelitish law. According to eastern history this is an established fact. Even Socrates visited the Jewish doctors in the Holy Land, consorting with them and discussing the principles and basis of their religious belief. After his return to Greece he formulated his philosophical teaching of divine unity and advanced his belief in the immortality of the spirit beyond the dissolution of the body. Without doubt Socrates absorbed these verities from the wise men of the Jews with whom he came in contact. Hippocrates and other philosophers of the Greeks likewise visited Palestine and acquired wisdom from the Jewish prophets, studying the basis of ethics and morality, returning to their country with contributions which have made Greece famous.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 271

ahanu

Looks and sounds like a prophet to me; he practiced what he preached:

What's the difference between a spiritual philosopher and a prophet?

LordOfGoblins

I think he was just a pure soul.
Thats all.
A pure soul is capable of all kinds of explanations and unravelling mysteries.
In other words a 'true philosopher'..

edit..
Well I noticed Abdul'baha called him a 'divine sage' so that's what he was..

ahanu

Hmm . . . A pure soul can also be a prophet.

A divine sage can also be a prophet.

I'm not really interested in whether or not Socrates was a prophet. Instead, I'm interested in the qualifications for prophethood. If Socrates is not a prophet, then there must be certain qualifications he does not meet. For example, does Socrates encourage us to learn from a Manifestation of God? Do all prophets encourage us to learn from a Manifestation of God? Socrates fails to meet what kind of qualifications for prophethood?

LordOfGoblins

Your point is good.
I think it comes down to whether God wants to give mankind a specific message. It is said in the writings they have specially designated limitations and revelation depending on what God wants them to give mankind at the time.
There is probabaly heaps to this question though.
But in a nutshell it comes down to who God wants to give man a certain message at a certain time I think..
The rest of us can promote Gods religion as well but its not quite the same thing. We dont have 'divine revelation' at the level thats gets added to the holy books..

But yes its a tough question and i fully admit my inability to know how to give a great answer to it..

ahanu

Then, according to your criteria, Socrates can still be a prophet, depending on what time period, because a message during a certain time period may align with Socrates' message! Or did I misunderstand you?

I think you would have better luck saying Socrates doesn't point to a Manifestation of God, and, therefore, he is not a prophet.

Mdef

No socrotes is not a prophet. are you kidding me? Resort to the quran.