Alright bear with me guys, this is a weird one.
I (45M) get into friendly debates with a peer/acquaintance of mine (61M). He used to be a total jock type, was pretty into wrestling for a while, but he has a deeper, introspective side, he’s really big on theory, and learned a lot from a mentor a while back and he’s always bringing ideas up that his mentor taught him (this is relevant, I promise). He can be pretty pretentious and pedantic, too— he straight-up started an academy something like 20 years ago so that he could gather and preach/teach to likeminded individuals.
So, fast forward to last night, we’re at his academy trying to define the meaning of existence and what life truly is, and what does it mean to be a man, and he starts talking about something his mentor used to say: that a man was simply a featherless biped. I think this is a pretty ridiculous base to start from, but whatever. Anyway we go on about this for a while and finally break for dinner.
I head out to the market in Athens to scrounge up something to eat, and I see a guy selling whole, unbutchered chickens and I’m like, okay, according to Mr. Smarty-Toga, two legs with feathers, those chickens are halfway to manhood! So I get a rooster from the guy and spend some time plucking it (I’m committed to the bit at this point), and head back to the Academy. Plato’s back by now and holding forth in his forum and I’m like okay perfect, he’s got an audience, this’ll be hilarious. And I run in, brandishing the chicken, yelling “Behold! A man!”
The kids he’s talking to, mostly young students, they’re all confused and seem to think it’s funny, but Plato’s spitting mad and starts yelling about how “it doesn’t work like that” and “why can’t you just respect a different school of thought” and all that. He finally adds that he meant a man is a featherless biped with fingernails, to which I asked him if he thought chicken talons are too large to be fingernails, and now he’s refusing to speak to me.
Honestly, it was all in good fun and I didn’t mean to insult him (alright maybe I did a little), but was I out of line? Or is he overreacting?
NTA. Men are allowed to visit the agora, and by your friend's standards, a man is what you brought. I'm more concerned by his casual cultural appropriation of the toga, honestly - unless he's a Roman citizen, he should probably stick to a himation or chlamys. :/
I actually have a photo of the incident in question, to provide additional context.
Anyway, NAH. Plato was just trying to be loyal to his mentor, but you were just pointing out how absurd his definition of a man was.
NTA, he had it coming. Bad philosophy deserves to be called out, and you respected him by showing him the flaws in his logic!
Oh my God. Diogenes! Are you really the Diogenes? My tutor was telling me all about you and your cynical ways! You see, I'm from Macedon, I've never met any of you Athenian philosophers before, but my tutor discussed a bunch of your theories with me. Fascinating! But anyway, Dad's conquered you lot, and now here I am! Sweet.
Anyway, I'm kind of a big deal around these parts. I'll be going to conquer Persia next week...but is there anything I could do for you, right now?
YTA for thinking you can win an argument using your naked cock.
NTA. You sound like a barrel of laughs. Honestly!
NTA
It's not your fault Plato doesn't know how to properly define a man, he's gotta learn how to take criticism.
YTA: Any other time I’d say no but I’ve looked at your post history and you just sound like you’re looking for excuses to be an asshole to people.
That and you shit on the floor
YTA. There's this principle in rhetoric called, "The Principle of Charity," which requires a critic to address the strongest possible interpretation of a theory, not set up a straw man, or in this case, a plucked chicken, as your opponent's theory, and defeating that. You know good and well that your friend wasn't giving a strict definition, but instead demonstrating a method of practicing taxonomy. All you did was disrupt the lesson, which was your obvious intent.
I dunno why you're worried about it though. You've made your career out of being the asshole, even beyond what your buddy's mentor was known for being. And Athens killed him for being too much of an asshole. You're just lucky the Emperor likes you.
YTA. You tortured a roost only to make a point. 😡
NTA. You sound fun. If I were not DeOfficiis, I would like to be Diogenes.
NTA. He's only considering the physical being of man when you obviously proved essence should be accounted for as well.
NTA, he should know full well that's a poor taxonomic definition. Though I may have gone with a kangaroo or pangolin, personally. Or one of those springhaas.
The kids, especially that Aristotle one, probably rightly figured out on their own this whole life-ology thing.
NTA, great joke and point. Plato just likes the sound of his own voice too much and has too high of an opinion of himself. You did good bringing him back down to earth.
ESH - That poor chicken
NTA. You totally lit him up.
YTA: Just terrible.
YTA. Why do you undress the man in his feather-tar costume? What if that is his only shirt and trousers? Barbaric, yes, but a Greek knows better than to undress someone while ripping their clothes.
YTA, because you failed to get animal test subjects clearance and a chicken can't consent.
NTA. But does he offer a six week course to in Rex Kwon Do? Might be interested...
NTA play stupid games win stupid prizes.
YTA, but you're going for that aren't you?
NTA asking annoying questions is normal.
