Words from Socrates and his Successors today on Charlie Hebdo

Ali Ferzat: Dedicated to all the victims of thought, art and expression.
January 7, 2015.

BY IVAR GJØRUP:

Greetings to you all from Ivar Gjørup!

On this day you should read, what Plato once wrote in despair on the subject of terrorism (GORGIAS 469): "Imagine that we meet in public and I have an AK 47 hidden under my coat (this is Socrates speaking and he says "In a square crowded with humans with a knife hidden under my cloak" - but the meaning is the same). Now I am the world's most powerful man, I say so, because I have the power of life and death! Every one of those you see around you will die if I so wish!"

What kind of power is that, Socrates is asking. A lousy and callous power of violence, we answer, then as now. Soon I shall have finished my book about him, Plato.
And then I better take up drawing again.



And his original words in Danish:

Hilsen til jer alle fra Ivar Gjørup!

Læs på denne dag, hvad Platon skrev engang i fortvivlelse om emnet terror (GORGIAS 469): "Forestil dig, at vi mødes i det offentlige rum og jeg har en AK 47 gemt under frakken (det er Sokrates, der taler, og han siger 'menneskefyldt torv med en kniv gemt under kappen' - men meningen er den samme). Nu er jeg verdens mægtigste mand, siger jeg så, for jeg har magt over liv og død! Hver eneste af dem, du ser omkring dig, vil dø, hvis blot jeg vil det!"

Hvad slags magt er dét, spørger Sokrates. En elendig og afstumpet voldsmagt, svarer vi, dengang som nu. Om lidt er jeg færdig med min bog om ham Platon.
Og så må jeg vist til at tegne igen.

Nadia Khiari: Today you murdered cartoonists, but legions of cartoonists shall be born!
January 7, 2015.

And Tarek Alghorani has underlined yesterday's blog post: Remember we should never ask for forgiveness. Especially not from a dictator, criminal or terrorist.


All words and artworks are courtesy of their artists and must not be reproduced without their permission.