Gadfly (philosophy and social science)

Person who interferes with the status quo of a society or community

For other uses, see Gadfly (disambiguation).

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Socrates

* "I know that I know nothing"
* "The unexamined life is not worth living"
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* Trial of Socrates

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A gadfly is a person who interferes with the status quo of a society or community by posing novel, potentially upsetting questions, usually directed at authorities. The term has a modern use but it was originally associated with the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, as portrayed in Plato's Apology when Socrates was on trial for his life.

## History

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### Socrates

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The term "gadfly" (Ancient Greek: μύωψ[1], mýops[2]) was used by Plato in the Apology[3] to describe Socrates' acting as an uncomfortable goad to the Athenian political scene, like a spur or biting fly arousing a sluggish horse.

During his defense when on trial for his life, Socrates, according to Plato's account, pointed out that dissent, like the gadfly, was easy to swat, but the cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high: "If you kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me" because his role was comparable to that of a gadfly: "to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth".[4]

Dominic Scott notes that in the Apology, the allusion speaks well of Socrates, whereas in the Meno, the image which compares Socrates to a stingray who "numbs" his interlocutors into silence and confusion has the opposite effect.[5]

### Modern politics

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The image used by Socrates is applied in modern politics:[4] a gadfly is someone who persistently challenges people in positions of power, the status quo or a popular position.[6] For example, Morris Kline wrote, "There is a function for the gadfly who poses questions that many specialists would like to overlook. Polemics is healthy."[7]

## See also

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* Concern troll – a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the troll claims to hold
* Devil's advocate – taking a position one does not necessarily agree with
* Gadfly (mythology)
* The Gadfly – novel

## References

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1. ^ See Marshall, Laura A. (2017). "Gadfly or Spur? The Meaning of ΜΎΩΨ in Plato's Apology of Socrates". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 137: 163–174\. doi:10.1017/S007542691700012X.
2. ^ See "commentary for book 3, line 277, out of George W. Mooney's Commentary on Apollonius: Argonautica".
3. ^ "Apology 30e".
4. ^ a b "Ron Kaye: The incessant buzzing of the gadflies". Los Angeles Times. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
5. ^ Scott, Dominic (2006), Plato's 'Meno' , p. 69, Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-64033-4
6. ^ Liberto, Jennifer (8 August 2007). "Publix uses law to boot gadfly". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
7. ^ Why the Professor Can't Teach (1977), page 238

## External links

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* The dictionary definition of gadfly at Wiktionary

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Socrates

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Life|

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* Social gadfly
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Phrases|

* "I know that I know nothing"
* "The unexamined life is not worth living"

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Works
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Socrates|

| Art|

* Double Herm of Socrates and Seneca (3rd-century sculpture)
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Stage|

* The Clouds (423 BC play)
* Der geduldige Socrates (1721 opera)
* Socrates (1759 play)
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Literature|

* De genio Socratis (1st-century essay)
* On the Concept of Irony with Continual Reference to Socrates (1841 thesis)
* The Plot to Save Socrates (2006 novel)

Other|

* Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" (1954 serenade)
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* Halcyon
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* Euthyphro dilemma
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