Socrates and the Philosopher's Gadfly

For Watson, she views injustice on the subject of gender equality. Throughout centuries, women have been viewed as less than their male counterpart. Although improvements have been made over the course of the last couple decades, the situation is far from ideal. Women have the right to vote, to undergo abortions, to hold high executive positions, etc. All these rights have made for monumental moments, but what they failed to create is a world where a woman is viewed and regarded as highly as a man. The sigma that a woman is fragile and in need of protection fails to be shaken off and it continues to place many restrictions on how women are perceived. This injustice is what Watson fights for. She fights against the gender binary that states that a man must be masculine and a woman must be feminine. She largely emphasizes the need for society to rid themselves of the restrictions of the binary and instead allow themselves more room to be their own person. When people are placed inside a box, there is little freedom to actually be their own self. A spectrum allowing gender fluidity would create a society that is fair for everyone.

Throughout his life, Socrates has made great efforts to ephasize and support what is right and correct what is wrong. This idea of justice has been ingrained in him since birth and it is what he believes is his destiny -- it is the reason that the Gods placed him on Earth. He has gone through life ensuring that each and every person that crosses his path is pushed to their best possible version. He constantly questions those around him in efforts to help others gain a realization that they may not know everything that they think they do. This questioning, although not always welcomed, has the ability to constantly be exercising the mind and allow others to decide to question things themselves. Socrates awakens those to see right and to question what's wrong.

Sometimes, the real struggle occurs from not knowing when is the time to answer the call for action. There is always a reason to push things off or assume that the situation will solve itself. But for a true gadfly, there is no then or eventually. There is only right now and how it just is. For Watson, she realized that if she failed to answer the call for justice, then who would? And if she chose not to act now, then when? For Socrates, there is no question of whether or not to speak his mind and support his respect for justice. He has reiterated his desire to die before going against what is just, showcasing his relentless support and strength. For both of these individual gadflies, there isn't a question of when to act, there is only a desire to bring about a change.

A Call for Change and a Hero to All

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A true gadfly recognizes those that clearly need help, but also those that aren't allowed to admit that they need help. While women do suffer from gender inequality, there is no denying that men also suffer. The gender binary makes it so that men must be masculine in order to be a true hegemonic man. Failure to do so is a risk of losing their masculinity and therefore they lose their power. From a young age, men

"I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either.

We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence." -Emma Watson

are taught that they must be tough and not be emotional because only girls are. They are taught that they must be stronger, that violence is okay and natural amongst men, that a woman is their equal, but they still need to be dominant. They are taught all of this and more. Overall, they are stuffed into a specific stereotype that limits their ability to just be. If there was a lack of focus on the gender binary, then men, and women by default, wouldn't face those same restrictions because they would fail to be relevant. Women would benefit as well. There is no justice in a world where a person is judged based off of how well they follow a socially constructed gender binary. To not fight against it would be acceptance of something that limits both men and women. To not fight would be wrong.

And "Justice" Just is

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"The fact is that no man will be spared by you or by any other multitude of people if he genuinely opposes a lot of unjust and unlawful actions and tires to prevent them from happening in the city. On the contrary, anyone who really fights for what's just, if indeed he's going to survive for even a short time, must act privately not publicly" (32a)

"I thought that I should face danger on the side of law and justice, rather than go along with you for fear of imprisonment or death when your proposals were unjust" (32c)

For Socrates, there is very little room for a grey area in the realm of justice. There is either just or unjust actions. For him, he has prided himself on always remaining on the side of justice even in the face of adversity and opposition. During his time on the council, he was the only one who realized the unlawful activity that was being voted for. It would've been extremely easy to succumb to the crowd, but to do so would be to go against his personal morals. In his eyes, justice isn't something hard to abide by. Although he does recognize the struggles of following and encouraging justice. There will always be those that react negatively towards those that act in the name of justice. This is why he iterates the importance of acting privately. The most work gets done in privacy where there are no influences or temptations to steer someone away from being just. This allows for justice to not be lost when facing adversity. It allows justice to strive.

and the

Philosopher's

Gadfly

When "Right" Means "Right Now"

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In a male-dominated society, women do have rights, but these rights aren't as prominent as they could and should be. This social injustice done on women is not only harmful to women, but to society as a whole as well. The lack of rights creates people that feel as if they are allowed to objectify and sexualize women. This toxic environment leads to instances of catcalling and possibly even rape situations. And the root of the problem lies within the rights that women have, or lack thereof. Women are shamed for wearing "provacative clothing" and their "provactive movements." They are screamed at for choosing to have an abortion, despite it being their own body and choice. They are told that they are "bossy" and "a bitch" when being assertive or in charge, as opposed to where a man would just be confident. They aren't equally represented in the Senate or Congress. They are also unencouraged from joining activities or jobs that may be too masculine. Overall, a culture is created that makes it seem as if all these actions and misrepresentation is acceptable and is right. This injustice isn't combated the way that it should, and this is what fuels her fight. Much like others, Watson realized that there is never a "right" time to fight. The only right is fighting for justice right now than allowing the situation to continue.

"I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights." -Emma Waston

The Flame

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Throughout life, there are those that allow a flame to only flicker inside their very being, never letting it get too bright. And then you have those that allow the flames to ignite them into action. It is this very flame that creates an individual consumed by the need to create a better society, and arguably a better world. Much like a phoenix, a gadfly emerges from the flames with the need to improve society. This flame runs within Socrates, a past-day gadfly, and Emma Watson, a modern day gadfly. Both these individuals are driven by a sense of justice and what is right. They both took it upon themselves to fight against injustices and help inform the public on how to change for the better. Although fighting for a different cause, they still took it upon themselves to stand on the right side of justice and fight for those that haven't had the chance to see the light.

Justice For All!

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Society calls for those that are able to "act as a constructively provacative stimulus." There is a call for those that are able to continue striving for justice despite opposition. This is the call that is answered by both Socrates and Watson. For Socrates, he realized that some face struggles with their path alongside justice. For him, the choice is easy with his everlasting belief to do what is just. There is no question if justice is worth dying or being imprisoned for. For Watson, having lived a privledged life has caused her to face little adversity, but it has also fueled her need to fight for those that haven't shared the same luck. Her fight for justice for those that are victims of the gender binary are in the effort of creating a better society. Socrates intended to do the same by spreading his knowlegde. A gadfly can only inform and emphasize what they believe is right and just. The next course of actions lies within society itself. They have been handed the phone and face the decision of whether or not to answer the call themselves. A gadfly is the initial spark in a movement towards change. They are what ignites the flame inside others. It is with the usage of their voice that both gadflies are able to use their own flame and effectively create change in others. For Watson, she was able to start a HeForShe campaign that has gain much popularity and coverage from the media. Overall, there is the realization that boys are sometimes feminine and girls are sometimes masculine and that is perfectly normal. For Socrates, his death left an impact on those that he spread his knowledge to. Not only did he encoruage others to question things themselves and to act in the name of justice, but he also eliminated the idea that everything is by and for the Gods. By spreading these ideals through text and by speaking to the public about real issues, these gadflies make a lasting impression on today's society as a whole as well.

Our Heroes

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Although sharing similarities in appearance, Socrates and Emma Watson engage in different battles throughout their experiences. Despite this, they do share the same approach of using their voice as their weapon of choice.

"It's as just such a gadfly, it seems to me, that the god has attached me to the city-one that awakens,

persuades, and

reproaches each and every one of you and never stops alighitng everywhere on you the whole day."

(31a)

"It is time that we see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining another by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are."

-Emma Waston

It is through this voice that they are able to bring about their change and engage in their fight for justice.