Daimonian

Draw nigh them daimonian! Why so fearest the Argives?

It is because Plato describes the role of the daimonian as being only that of warning that Kierkegaard prefers Plato's representation of Socrates to that of Xenophon, who through lack of thought, “in his wisdom thought that if the daimonian warned, then it surely must prompt as well".

On this point Socrates had no doubt, for he says, “When I was about to cross the stream, the daimonian sign that usually comes to me was given—it always holds me back from what I want to do—and I thought I heard a voice from it which forbade..." (Phaedrus, 242b).