SOCRATES AND POLIGIS: ON CHARACTER- Jersey Flight

Poligis: Whatever do you mean Socrates? If you ran for the Senate and your opponent attacked you by slandering your character you would not fight fire with fire?

Socrates: Most certainly not, my dear Poligis. While you could call my opponent wise in this sense (insofar as his tactic may accomplish his goal) you cannot speak favorably about his character. I may lose, but I will not lose myself.

Poligis: But this is most absurd. You would let this kind of man manipulate the people simply because you refuse to fight back?

Socrates: To speak of the issues which pertain to the context is the only thing I would do. I have no desire to sling mud. After all, what good would I be to the people if this was my character?   

Poligis: But the man who would be taking office would have a defect in character.

Socrates: I have found that it is best to stick to the issues, even though the crowd seems to respond favorably to those tactics which defame a man's character. I care little for strategy when it is pit against honesty. If I cannot win by telling the truth and treating my opponent fairly, then I do not want to win at all.

Poligis: This is moral stupidity!

Socrates: You may be correct, but I am the one who must live with myself, dear Poligis, and beyond this, I must live in the midst of other people. If I were to attack my opponent's character in order to silence his views, then in truth, I would have destroyed my own character. And once my character is destroyed, what then could I offer the people?

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