In this modern day society we have very few people that can be considered to be like Socrates. Someone who questions a person’s or a group of people’s thoughts and beliefs. Someone who makes the audience think and question their own thoughts and beliefs. To be able to discover a certain truth “truth”. Bill Maher can certainly be described as a modern day Socrates, especially in the controversial world we live in today.
What makes Bill Maher so much like Socrates is that his show “Real Time with Bill Maher” is set up deliberately to discuss current controversies with in the american society. He has people representing from both sides and will play devil’s advocate with his questions at times to get both sides to reveal either faults within their arguments or show how strong they are. Even though Bill Maher is known for being a strongly voiced liberal, he allows his facing opponents -if you will- the opportunity to address the issue from their side and share their opinions on it. Which, he then tries to weaken by questioning their answers.
Referencing a specific episode i saw back in the summer, Bill Maher completely tricked a conservative who was completely against healthcare reform to admit that it would be a good thing. This is just one particular episode out of many that continuously address major issues and try to weaken the opposing sides argument. Because this is what the show is about and this is how he finds the “truth”, it wouldn’t be outrageous to think that Bill Maher is a modern day Socrates.
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