Socrates (disambiguation)

What this page is actually for

The disambiguation page exists because Socrates is not just one guy in a toga asking annoying questions. It can refer to the Athenian philosopher, but also to a pile of unrelated people, projects, and oddities that happen to share the name. Wikipedia uses pages like this to keep readers from walking into the wrong philosophical alley.

In practice, the page is a cleanup table for names like: - Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher - Sócrates, the Brazilian footballer who played like he had a thesis defense and a first touch - Sokrates and Sokratis, variants used in different languages and naming traditions - assorted works and projects that probably looked clever in a meeting

The usual suspects

The most common entries under this name are people, because humanity loves reusing famous names until search engines beg for mercy. Among the better-known matches are Socrates, Sócrates, and other historical or modern figures whose names are close enough to cause trouble.

Typical categories on the page include: - Historical figures with variants of the name - Modern people, especially athletes and public figures - Projects and titles that use Socrates as a label - Technical or scientific uses that sound like they were named by someone who wanted authority in a hurry

Not a philosopher, just a routing problem

This is the important bit, since search intent can be sloppy and the page has to do the heavy lifting. The exact-string query "Socrates Disambiguation" usually points to the index page, not the philosopher article.

A few notable non-philosopher uses from the broader name family include: - Project Socrates, a U.S. defense initiative - Socrates II, a chess program, because apparently naming software after philosophers improves morale - Socrates (pain assessment), a medical scoring system that sounds stern enough to judge your suffering

So yes, the name travels well. It gets used everywhere, like a respectable brand before trademarks became a sport.

How to tell which Socrates you wanted

If you are trying to find the philosopher, you want the main article, not the index. If you are trying to find literally anyone else named Socrates, the disambiguation page is the sensible place to start, assuming you enjoy being correct before lunch.

A quick rule of thumb: - If the context is ancient Greece, it is probably Socrates - If the context is football, it is probably Sócrates - If the context is a project, system, or program, it is probably one of the other entries on the disambiguation page - If the search phrase includes disambiguation, you are already at the meta-level, which is where Wikipedia puts the furniture nobody wants to assemble

Riferimenti

1. Wikipedia, "Socrates (disambiguation)"
2. Wikipedia, "Socrates"
3. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Socrates"
4. Wikipedia, "Sócrates"
5. Wikipedia, "Project Socrates"