[Buddha-l] Theories of the self

[curt]

Katherine Masis wrote:
> Socrates may have adopted the maxim, but he also
> changed it.  The Delphic maxim "gnothi seauton" (know
> thyself) was more or less telling oracle-seekers to be
> sure of exactly what they wanted to ask; i.e., to
> examine themselves carefully so they wouldn’t ask too
> many questions of the oracle.  For Socrates, "know
> thyself" didn’t imply a relationship between humans
> and gods, but a relationship with himself.  In this
> sense, he was breaking with the past.  And yes, we
> could say that with Socrates the notion of "self"
> gained a perceived essence and solidity it perhaps
> hadn’t had before, or at least a perceived essence and
> solidity that hadn’t been articulated before.
>
>
>   

I am wondering what kind of basis you have for saying this? Socrates, 
for example, encourages Meno [76c] to receive initiation in the 
Eleusinian Mysteries (not to be confused, of course, with Apollo's cult) 
in order to better undertand his (Socrates') ideas concerning the soul 
In the Alcibiades Socrates states clearly "harken, therefore, to the 
advice I give you in agreement with the Delphic inscription, Know 
Thyself." [124a-b] Socrates also informs Alcibiades that "a God" has 
instructed him (Socrates) to speak to Alcibiades about this matter.

I would go so far as to say that there is no evidence that 
Soctates/Plato "changed" the meaning of "gnothi seauton", or that their 
teachings concerning the soul and self-knowledge represented a "break 
with the past".

- Curt