What to make of this seemingly pedestrian exit? For centuries, scholars have pondered that question. Some interpret Socrates’s last words darkly. At the time, roosters were offered to the god of healing, Asclepius, so perhaps Socrates was saying life is like a disease we must cure. Or maybe it was Socrates’s way of calling us back down to earth, even as he ascended to heaven. Maybe he was reminding us, as we grapple with life’s big questions, not to forget the small stuff. Don’t overlook your obligations as a citizen and a friend. Be a person of honor. If you owe someone a rooster, give him a
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