Mind and Muscle
Lessons from History
There has been a simple lesson that has been lost over the millennia following the many successive schools of thought throughout western philosophy. Long ago there was a time when even the brightest academics participated in the exercise of his own body as well as his mind. This came about as a consequence of able bodied men being expected to first participate in the shared defense of their society before they were allowed to participate in the benefits of the title citizen.
Long ago, in the time of the Athenians, from the age of Solon the lawgiver who had laid down the groundwork for what would become their democracy, to the age of empire that followed from the rise and fall of Alexander the Great, there was great prosperity within Athens. Philosophy, mathematics, art, poetry, and music all flourished during this period. It is in this period that showed the thinking man his duty to first serve in the military before he may participate in its democracy.
Many great minds were born in Athens in this period, too many to list. Here alone there are enough great men to rival the many names of a Homeric epic, so I shall focus on three.
Socrates, considered by many to be the father of western philosophy, was also considered by many, including the Athenian general Alcibiades, to be a greater soldier. When it was winter and most men would wear layered clothes in order to avoid the effects of the freezing temperatures, Socrates would march outside barefooted as he always had and with only the simplest of tunics. Socrates was renowned for his endurance and his fearlessness. In the battle of Delium he covered the retreat of the Athenians with his own life, thinking first of his honor and his fellow brothers, without regard for his own mortality. In the battle of Potidaea he saved the life of Alcibiades, throwing himself into danger to rescue his young companion. In strength, in endurance, in courage, and in mind, Socrates was unmatched.
Painting of Alcibiades and Socrates from Alcibiades Being Taught by Socreates by the painter François-André Vincent
Plato, considered by many to be one of the most influential western philosophers, was also considered one of Socrates’ greatest students. Yet the name Plato was indeed not Plato’s actual name. In actuality Plato’s real name was most probably Aristocles, in honor and tradition of his grandfather of the same name. Diogenes Laertius gives the account of his coach Ariston the Argive wrestler giving him the name Platon, meaning broad or plate like, on account of his robust figure. It is under Ariston that Plato learned to submit his opponent under his own muscle. This valuable experience propelled him through his military service of five years.
Lastly, Aristotle, one of the many students of Plato, and considered to be his greatest student has a slightly different story but ultimately similar outlook on life to his two predecessors in the regards of the military. Aristotle, unlike the previous two men of Athens, was a Macedonian. Central to the politics of Aristotle is the idea that men are by nature suited to the life of the polis, a city, and do not fully realize their natures until they exercise the role of citizen. He would go on to become the teacher of one of the greatest military minds of all time, Alexander the Great.
Painting of Plato and Aristotle from the School of Athens by the painter Raphael
As it often is difficult to separate the quotes of Socrates from the quotes of Plato, I shall credit both men with these words. From Socrates to Plato it is almost certain that these beliefs found their home in Aristotle and even Alexander the Great.
“No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
Make no mistake, this quote is given in the context of a citizen who was by definition required to defend his polis first as a soldier before obtaining the title of citizen, but in the mind of all three men, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, was the idea that their nature was not fully realized until they became a citizen. So in every regard they believed the fully realized man had fully realized his bodily potential.
Overtime Philosophy was broken apart piecemeal, where once under its wing it found mathematicians, physicists, ethicists, and more, it has slowly been cut asunder many times. With the fall of Athenian democracy and the rise of empire, citizenship and military service were not initially separated, but in time lost their meaning.
It is more important now than ever to realize a lesson from the past, the mind cannot be separated from the body, nor the body from the mind. To fulfill the maximal potential of either first requires the nurturing of its other half. It is thus realized that the most beautiful minds come from the most beautiful of physiques. Practice the exercise of both the mind and the body and both shall show you their inner potential and the outer expressions of their true capabilities.