Essay on Socrates
The First Advocate for Free Speech – Socrates The precise facts about how and why the great Greek philosopher Socrates was sentenced and executed remains one of the biggest puzzles in history, even to this day. Socrates lived and philosophized in Athens, which is said to be the ancient model for a democracy. Yet, it seems like the Athenians sentenced to death a respected member of their society for speaking his mind and standing by his principles. Now how democratic is that? What makes the situation more riddling is that the only two journals for the events surrounding the death of Socrates are written by Plato and Xenophon, who are his followers. Some historians argue the picture they presented in their works is intended to imply...show more content...
Maybe here he draws the conclusion that people are just not ready for his way of thinking and that philosophizing is not a part of their democracy. He in a way condemns them by saying they will be held responsible for "having killed Socrates, a wise man" (38c). He admits that he lost the trial only because he did not say what "would have been most pleased to hear", suggesting that he could if he wanted to, but that would make him unworthy of what he has been standing for all these years. "I much prefer to die having made my defense speech in this way than to live in that way," (38e) says Socrates referring to exile and having to live as a stranger from one city to another and be unaccepted for who he is. Possibly, his decision has something to do with the fact that Socrates was aged 70 at the time of the trial. There is now no way for him to develop much further and to try and establish himself, all he has left now is simply standing his ground until the end. With the Apology of Socrates the theory about Socrates not being able to defend himself falls, as there is an enormous discrepancy that the person who could make unjust speech sound just could have not defended himself properly if he wanted to. The point is he did not want to and did not need to do it. Plato's work Crito naturally transitions us to the moment when Socrates is n his cell and is
Socrates Essay examples
Socrates
Philosophy was both serious and dangerous, Socrates chose to ignore both. Ignoring the first made him one of the most engaging of all philosophers, ignoring the second was to cost him his life. He was born in a middle class home in Athens, in 470 BCE. His parents were Phaenarete and Sophroniscus. His mother had a reputation for her patient and intuitive skill in delivering babies in and around the neighborhood. The latter, his father was a craftsman, stonecutter by trade.
As a young boy, Socrates was teased in school about his appearance, and often would prey to the Gods to make him beautiful both inside as well as outside. He was known for asking many questions as a child, because he was very...show more content...
He and his father along with many other people, including prisoners, foreigners and the unemployed had taken up a public contract to build the Acropolis. The Athenians were proud mostly of Pericles, because he was the one who founded and organized it. Anaxagoras, a scientist nicknamed "the mind", who walked around Athens daily, had found a rock that had fallen from the sky and had concluded that there were no gods, but that the sun was hot metal and the moon earth. He was put on trial by the majority, who was religious, but Pericles sent him away to Asia Minor where he lived to the last of his days in peace. Socrates agreed with Anaxagoras, but wanted more answers and explanations. He listened to many other scientists and philosophers, but when Anaxagoras' book came out in writing, he read about the "Mind" and that it was the control of all living things, everything else was a "mixture". Socrates read on to many other writings, but soon found himself confused in all the abstract concepts. Then, he understood that he had to ask himself the question "why" instead of how, which developed his philosophical view and style.
At the time when Socrates was reaching his late thirty's he became more prudent about life. Chaerephon, one of his friends, went to the Oracle at Delphi to ask it if Socrates was the wisest. The Oracle said he was. When this
Essay on Socrates: A Great Philosopher
Socrates was a philosopher who taught many young minds. Socrates even taught Plato another great philosopher. This great philosopher lived in the fifth century B.C. Socrates was wrongly accused and sentenced to death, but his knowledge lives on. Socrates was born around 470 B.C. Socrates was born into a poor family. Socrates was born in a village on the side of Mount Lycabettus. His father was a sculptor who was excellent at his job. When he was old enough his father taught him how to be sculptor but his creations always came out less than acceptable in the eyes of the clients. His mother was a mid wife. She helped deliver a lot of the children in Athens. In Athens it was common for young men like Socrates to have an elementary level...show more content...
At the age of fifty he married a woman and had three sons. While Socrates was teaching he would ask very hard questions, like "What is wisdom" Obviously none of the students could answer but most of them thought that the where right. Socrates came out and said," I have yet to find the answer if there is one" His greatest achievement was his method of questioning. Among all of his teachings and quotes he never wrote about his own life. This is the reason why so little is known about him. Any sources found today have been written by second hand sources such as Plato (Lim97). Socrates was admired by many who understood his ideas. This showed that he was a good man in the eyes of the Athenian people. Socrates went on and asked all of his students to question themselves and see how many different points of views they would come up with. Many found that they had contradictory opinions for one question. This leads to many historians to think that Socrates was the one who originally said "An unexamined life isn't worth living." Socrates may not have said this but he did say, "There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." Socrates believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice. But this isn't how the people of Athens saw it.(Beck138) Socrates is known for his questions and how hard they seem to be. He's also none for his quotes. Some of his quotes he doesn't even know
Short Essay On Socrates
Socrates
The philosopher Socrates was born 470 BC, in Athens, Greece. He worked as a stone mason for years before finding out that he loved philosophy. His family did not support his job change because it left him and his family in poverty. One of his students Plato says the Socrates would not accept any kind of payment, being the reason for his poverty. Socrates was said to have always taught about the importance of the mind and the unimportance of the body. He thought that philosophy should get practical results, for the greater good of the human race. Socrates did not believe in tyranny or democracies, he believed that individuals with a complete understanding of one's self should rule. And the more a person knows, the greater his ability...show more content...
Some of the things he wrote on his travels were The Apology of Socrates, Protagoras, Euthyphro, Hippias Major and Minor and Ion. In these writings, Plato attempts to carry out Socrates's teachings. After writing those Plato seems to write in his own voice on the central ideas of justice, wisdom and moderation of the individual in The Republic. A little bit later he concentrates a little more on art, including dance, music, drama and architecture.
Somewhere around 385 B.C.E., Plato established the Academy, where he was head of until his death. He wanted a place where he could teach young people all his knowledge that he had built up over the years. Where he could make the future leaders of Greece. It is at the academy where he found one of is most promising young students Aristotle, who would keep his teachings going for years to come. Plato died in Athens around 348 B.C.E., but his teachings still last to this
Socrates Role Of Philosophy Essay
Philosophy began with human curiosity and it was concerned with questions relating more directly to human behaviour (Stumpf, 1999:29). Plato's 'Apology' is the speech given by Socrates when he stood trial after being accused of not believing in the gods and corrupting the youth, and this is where he tells the jury about his philosophical way of life. This essay will discuss how the role of philosophy is about caring for the human soul and the moral virtue a person gets from leading a philosophical life. Socrates advocated the pursuit of wisdom because he believed that wisdom is important for living a virtuous life. The role of philosophy was also religious because his philosophical journey started because of the gods. Socrates was committed to these roles and this is evident in the way that he delivers his defence.
The role of philosophy is about caring for the human soul by living a moral life. Socrates makes it clear that he is not a sophists, men who were known for teaching their students how to make weaker arguments overcome stronger arguments. These...show more content...
He started off by asking the jury to listen to him with an open mind and not to believe all the things that they have heard about him through rumours. Socrates claims that he is not a skilled speaker, he is merely a man who speaks the truth. He urges the jury to act with integrity. Socrates defends his philosophical life passionately and he makes it clear that he would rather die than go against his values. He even goes as far as to say that he does not fear death because he does not know what death truly is. Socrates also hopes to help others gain wisdom through his defence. He does not beg for mercy from the jury, he stands by what he believes in and defends his philosophical beliefs until the end "But now it is time to go away, I to die and you to live. Which of us goes to a better thing is unclear to everyone except to the god"
Socrates Role Of Philosophy
In 399 BC, Socrates was condemned to death by the city of Athens. At this time, Socrates was around 70 years of age and had served the city of Athens in politics and the military. (Plato 1959:64–65) While he was on trial for his crimes, Socrates introduced multiple different roles of philosophy in society. In this discussion, I aim to identify and explain some of these roles of philosophy as shown by Socrates in The Apology, mainly revealing and maintaining truth, purification of the soul and education.
The first and very basic roles of philosophy that was identified is revealing and maintaining truth in all circumstances. This is clear when Socrates says of his accusers "they are being convicted of pretending to knowledge when they are entirely...show more content...
(Plato 1959:61) Perfection of the soul will come from an improved moral good, getting rid of fault and comes from searching for truth. If a person wants truth, they will automatically reflect on their own life, improving their morals. This introduces an understanding of the self and of the surrounding as the search for truth continues. Socrates introduces this reflection as a spiritual exercise that was practiced in ancient Greece, and is described as the condensation of the 'I'. (Hadot 2002:REFERENCE) However, the city of Athens did not support the idea of improving moral good and seeking the truth with understanding, which lead Socrates to believe that the city is not safe for the lives of philosophers and later lead Plato to form his Academy outside the city as an ideal place for philosophers to learn and practice their discipline, arguments and spiritual exercise. (Hadot 2002:57);(Arendt 1990:75) Exercise for the perfection of the soul, according to the Pythagoreans was to practice mathematics, in particular geometry, as it was the purest form of life; thus purifying the soul when given devout attention to the subject. (Parker 1916:72–73) Although this may be an individual achievement, it will affect the city as a whole if everyone lives for moral improvement and the city will benefit from truth in justice as a
Socrates and his Philosophy Essay
Socrates and his Philosophy
Socrates makes a profound impact in our minds through his wisdom, power of critical thinking, moral strength and intelligence. It is Plato who immortalizes Socrates in the popular imagination as a man of profound knowledge. Socrates' effectiveness as a philosopher depended as much on the strength and interest of his personality as on the power of his mind. Socrates' philosophy was based on discovering the truth, understanding moral life and talking about the elements that make up a good life. According to my judgment, one of the most important things about Socrates' quest was, indeed, the unceasing habit and practice of being critical and thoughtful– of not being truly blind to one's...show more content...
On one extreme, there are views according to which only certain definite kinds of lives or in the most extreme versions only a single kind of life is best. On the other extreme, there are views according to which there is no objective answer at all as to what sort of life is good, so that the only relevant consideration is the person's own judgment. If people think that they are living good or satisfactory lives, then they are, and there is nothing more to be said. Between those two extremes life varies from person to person and perhaps other dimensions as well. There are some objective conditions or requirements that must be satisfied for a life to be good. One may think that the good life is one that contains lots of pleasurable experience and few if any painful ones.
Happiness seems to be the standard for measuring the good life to them. But Socrates believed that, happiness cannot be the standard for the good life; the good life has to be gained through avoiding bodily pleasure, because body always misguides us from gaining the real truth about our lives. So, the definition of the good life completely depends on the people's own ideas, judgments and beliefs. Socrates showed us in his very own way how wisdom interrelated with one's life and afterlife as well. Pursuit of wisdom should be given most priority because wisdom makes people
aware
Essay about Socrates
SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils' influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was brought up properly, and thoroughly educated. He was raised as most Athenians; developing both physical and mental strengths. Socrates then went on to learn from Archelaus the philosopher. Here he studied astronomy, mathematics, and was introduced to philosophy, which was a new concept at the time. Archelaus taught of explanations for the world with a scientific approach. Socrates, however, turned away...show more content...
This means, for example, that when we think of characteristics such as roundness, we only picture ideas of it like a ball or a wheel. Therefore, he assumed that we only understand specific things that participate in our lives. In his search for the inner truth of oneself, Socrates theorized the explanation to the question of what the goals of life are. He concluded that everyone tries to find the meaning of happiness and goodness in their existence. This is the purpose of life. However, true happiness comes in many forms and is disguised in a way that people spend their lives looking for goodness, but finding only the evil in which it is concealed. The only way to discover true happiness, goodness, and the right way, is to fully understand oneself. Socrates did not believe in the Greek gods or religion. He had his personal view of god. Socrates felt that there must be some form of divine power because everyone seemed to believe in some kind of god and religion. He also believed in a sort of immortality. He hypothesized that there was an afterlife. His explanation for it was that people who had achieved goodness in their lives knew where they were going afterwards, and that evil people tried to ignore the fact that immortality existed. He preached that the soul was a person's true being, and that our goodness in life reflected on the goodness of our souls. According to Socrates, each individual
What Was The Importance Of Socrates
If there ever was a list people who sought to explore and understand wisdom, knowledge, and life with a passion, Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC) would most likely be at the very top of that list. As a philosopher, Socrates never wrote any philosophical works of his own and he conducted philosophy by engaging conversations with anyone who would talk with him. These discussions that are detailed in Plato's Dialogues usually involve Socrates asking questions that eventually make his conversant question their own beliefs. Unfortunately, the self–doubt and possible embarrassment that many felt after conversing with Socrates was impactful enough that the Athenian assembly eventually agreed to have Socrates put to death. Socrates had many chances to escape his punishment, but he choose to accept his fate and face death. He even regarded cowardice and hypocrisy as fates worse than death. For this, Socrates is as influential for his character as he is for his philosophical ideas. All of Socrates' conversations seem to have a common theme. What is it besides the search for what is true and correct? There is a relation that must take place for one to acquire true understanding.
So who exactly is Socrates and why is he so Important in philosophy? Socrates was born in Athens, Greece, around 470/469 BC and died in 399 BC. What makes Socrates unique is that he placed emphasis on the human experience. Whereas Pre–Socratic philosophers mainly examined the natural world.
Essay On Socrates
Born in Athens, Socrates was a philosopher who was considered the wisest man of his time. He created the Socratic method, which is the question and answer technique that is used in arguments and debates today. Socrates stated that all real knowledge is within each person and saw things for themselves for their own reasons. Over time he was soon accused of corrupting the youth of Athens, because he was an atheist and introducing new spiritual ideas. He was placed on trial and later sentenced to death due to his "corruptions" of society.
The Peloponnesian War weakened Athens as a city–state and impacted its empire as a whole. Socrates was placed on trial in 399 BC after the Peloponnesian War and was accused by Anytus, Lycon and Meletus. Allegedly, Socrates was...show more content...
When democracy was revived in Athens, it was easy to call out those who were involved in the thirty tyrants, often known as the troublesome. Socrates was an easy target because he proposed ideas unfavorable to democracy and did it openly, to say the least. The behavior of Socrates could have been triggered by various beliefs. Socrates incentive was to education the youth of Athens and point out their shortcomings also. His disagreement with democracy gave him the drive to show people that democracy was a problem. Through investigation, Socrates went to the men who were considered wise and test their wisdom. Examples such as craftsmen, proved Socrates right in such that they believed that since they could succeed in one task, they could in others. These investigations led Socrates to the idea that democracy was a problem and incentivized people to agree. With Athens being a democratic institution and Socrates being against democracy, he may have felt threatened by the system and therefor took it upon himself to educate the youth with his ideas. His behavior motivated his accusers to bring him to trial
Philosophy and Socrates Essay
By: Mark
E–mail: [email protected]
SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils' influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was brought up properly, and thoroughly educated. He was raised as most Athenians; developing both physical and mental strengths. Socrates then went on to learn from Archelaus the philosopher. Here he studied astronomy, mathematics, and was introduced to philosophy, which was a new concept at the time. Archelaus taught of explanations for the world with a scientific...show more content...
Debating in the marketplace of Athens was not Socrates' only daily activity. He also taught his philosophies to a group of students in a small classroom. These students were much like disciples. They respected and followed in the philosophies of their teacher. Socrates' most famous pupil, Plato, went on to become a great philosopher like his mentor. Socrates lived through and fought in the Peloponnesian War. After Athens' defeat, the democracy was replaced by a tyranny. This did not bother Socrates much because his belief in government was a rather simple and apathetic one. He thought that no matter what kind of government subsists; it should be followed solely because a form of law and order must exist in a society to control it. One of the tyranny's leaders was a former pupil of Socrates and hated his teacher. He tried to make life harder for Socrates by banning the teaching of philosophy in the streets. Socrates ignored him. In response to this, the tyrant tried to kill Socrates; but the tyranny was overthrown right on time to prevent this. A new democratic government came into power, the leader of which, Anytus, also hated Socrates because his son, who was the philosopher's pupil, turned away from the family's business to become a philosopher. Anytus had Socrates arrested on charges of corrupting Athens' young and turning them away from Paganism, the Greek religion involving a belief in many gods. Anytus
Reflection Paper On Socrates
Exploration Paper: Socrates Socrates viewed Philosophy very differently than Philosophers before him. Most philosophers of the time had a very physical view of the world and cosmos, they looked for answers through what was physical and seen. Socrates' contributions to Philosophy during his lifetime influenced many of the views of philosophers of the time, and ultimately influenced our views and beliefs. One particular point and the ultimate final argument that Socrates makes, which many religions and ideologies dwell upon today, is that humans have an imperishable soul separate from the body and that the soul is what carries on after death. Socrates didn't just influence one particular branch of Philosophy, but Philosophy as a whole. Before him, we viewed Philosophy in the physical world and cosmos, but not any further. With his arrival, he opened our eyes and showed us how to practice Philosophy the "right" way. Instead of focusing on a single branch of philosophy, he pursued anything that would lead him to wisdom. (Butler 821) His ultimate love for wisdom and knowledge led him to appreciate the thought of what comes after death. Socrates is constantly mentioning life after death. For example, in Plato's Phaedo he says, "...I not only do not grieve, but I have great hopes that there is something in store for the dead..." at one point he calls it the "joys of the blessed" and he believes that "man is a prisoner who has no right to open the door of his prison and run away."
Socrates : The Father Of Philosophy
Being the father of philosophy and one of the most known figures in history, Socrates is presented in many forms throughout the arts. Socrates' thoughts and ideas are documented in Plato's various dialogues and monologues, including The Republic, The Apology, and Gorgias. We see the image of Socrates through the eyes of Jacques–Louis David's painting The Death of Socrates inspired by Plato's Phaedo Death Scene. Lastly, in Frederich Nietzsche critiques on Socrates. Each work of art gives a unique narrative and portrayal to who Socrates was as a dialectic and as a philosopher.
In Plato's works, we witness a detailed narrative of Socrates through his dialogues with the citizens of Athens. He is searching for the truth that morality brings happiness and immorality brings unhappiness, coming up with the equation reason and virtue equals happiness. Socrates engages in these arguments in search of the truth, as he is a lover of the truth. Throughout all his dialogues Socrates is also aiming to reach the truth for the question on hand, but to attain the truth about life and happiness. When engaged with his interlocutor Socrates is continuously asking questions and choosing the most precise words as possible, trying to come upon and reach the resolution of competing points of view. Using the method of elenchus, Socrates points out to his interlocutors that their definitions and their beliefs are inconsistent with each other, and would like to clarify them to reach a suitable
What Is Philosophy According to Socrates Essay
What is philosophy according to Socrates? Philosophy is an academic subject that exercises reason and logic in an attempt to understand reality and answer fundamental questions about knowledge, life, morality, virtue, and human nature. The original word for philosophy comes from the ancient Greek word philosopha, which means love of wisdom. Although Socrates himself never claimed to have any answers to the questions he raised, his views and methods of philosophy became the foundations of what philosophy is today. Socrates actually wrote nothing, because he felt that knowledge was something to be gained by living and interacting in the world. So most of what we do know about Socrates comes from the writings of another very important...show more content...
Socrates did not have his own definition of truth, he only believed in questioning what others believed as truth and he invented dialectic what is called the Socratic Method. If something passed the Socratic Method, it could be classified as truth. He asked questions of his conversation partner. When his partner answers, he would then ask another question about the answer. Then he would ask more questions, and very often at the end of the dialogue the other fellow was forced to admit that he did not know the answer to the first question. He merely assumed he did, or took the conventional point of view. Socrates would question things over and over until there were no logical fallacies within the virtue that was being discussed. Socrates did not think he knew the answers to all questions. But he saw that no one else knew them either and so his questions where open to debate for all people. He believed that genuine knowledge came from discovering universal definitions of the key concepts, such as virtue, piety, love, justice, and other ethical ideas, but he did not teach students what he believed. Socrates identified knowledge with virtue, and he thought knowledge is the highest good of virtue. Socrates also thought if knowledge includes everything that is good, then virtue is a part of knowledge. If virtue is beneficial to our well–being, and if virtue is a most quality of the soul, then it must include wisdom, since if it were used unwisely it would be
Socrates, Philosophy and the Good Life Essay
Socrates, Philosophy and the Good Life
Socrates' belief was that he was called on by the Gods to live his life examining others and himself. He believed the necessity of doing what one thinks is right even in the face of universal opposition, and the need to pursue knowledge even when opposed. "I became completely convinced, to the duty of leading the philosophical life by examining myself and others."¹ Socrates believed that to desert this idea was ridiculous and would make his life absurd. Socrates chose to live a life of truth and not to worry about things that did not matter. For Socrates not to live his life by the plans and requests of Gods it would be disobedient and untrue to the Gods. Socrates was brought to court to defend...show more content...
Socrates asks the question "Is there anyone in the world, Meletus, who acknowledges that human phenomena exist, yet does not acknowledge human beings?"9 After more questions of the same type, Meletus answers no. Socrates again proves his point. Socrates brings the irrational charge down to simple accusation because Meletus was a loss for a legitimate offense. Socrates says there is no conceivable way that a person who believes in spiritual beings does not believe in gods. The argument that proved inconsistency in Meletus' answers was: spirits exists, God created spirits, therefore, the creator of spirits exists (God). It seems that Meletus did understand the laws of the court and was simply charging Socrates with any crime he could think of. Socrates goes to say that Meletus and Anytus will go on to convict many more good men and they will not stop with him. Socrates states that it will not be Meletus and Anytus that convict but the malice and slander and great hostility that will. Socrates refutes the irreligion charge by proving that since he believes in spirits he believes in gods. "I have neglected the things that concern most people–making money, managing an estate, gaining military power or civic honours, or positions of power."10 Even today to most of the human race the good life is acquiring great status here on earth. Most men need to have much material possession, meaningful vocation, and a wealthy class.
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three men considered to be the quintessential basis of ancient Greek philosophy. Not only were they responsible for Greek enlightenment, but also foreshadowed the coming of Christ in there speculations. Plato, the protégé of Socrates, became the first to document the philosophy of his teacher, which in turn is passed down to Aristotle. This process of mentoring aided ancient man in the intellectual evolution of politics and religion, known as the linear concept.
Socrates, the Athenian native ex–hoplite and his successors more often than not focused on three main schools of thought, religion, politics, and the spiritual essence. Socrates was not a defender of the gods, and...show more content...
In terms of democracy Socrates' faith slight, he had his doubts, primarily because he did not condone empowering the uneducated. He felt that some were not educated enough and were ignorant to political and social complexities, therefore should not have the equality of a greater mind in the matter. He was later tried and convicted for corrupting the youth and atheism, not before passed all his philosophy to his prized student Plato.
Plato carried on Socrates' unique approach to philosophy and extended it one step farther. He expanded largely on Socrates works on immortality of the soul, truth, the existence of man on two planes, and why, only after death, one could see truth more clearly in one of his most acclaimed works, the Doctrine of Pure Form and Ideas. The doctrine of pure form and ideas illustrated how man was deceived by his senses and that they masked the real truth. In fact, Plato argued that a man would see a horse for example, in a whole new light after death, because only then could he see the "pure form" after the mask of his mortal senses was lifted. Furthermore, he believed that a pure form, in other words an essence that can see all for its genuine truth created the world, which many consider the true beginning of monotheism.
On the other end of the spectrum are his political contributions, whereby he took Socrates' criticism of democracy to a new level. Plato
Essay on The Nature of Socratic Philosophy
The Nature of Socratic Philosophy
The original word for philosophy steams from the Greek word philosopha,meaning 'love of wisdom'. Although Socrates himself never claimed to have any answers to the questions he raised, his views and methods of philosophy are the cornerstone of what philosophy is today. The nature of philosophy, as viewed by Socrates, is centred around the wellness of the soul, virtue being defined as knowledge and the pursuit of truth through the questioning of beliefs. Socrates heavily subscribed to a dualistic view of the body and the soul.He saw the body, or "the flesh" as something engaging in vacant pleasures and of no value to the betterment of an individual. Instead, Socrates focused himself on the soul,...show more content...
Concerned with the wellness of the soul and the divine, Socrates defines virtue as the knowledge of good. He believed that if one knows what is good, he will always do what is good. This lead Socrates to the conclusion that those who do wrong haven't the knowledge of what is good. This is what most likely lead to Socrates placing a primary focus on discussing ethics. Socrates: So with other matters, not to enumerate them all, and certainly with actions just and unjust, shameful and beautiful, good and bad, about what we are now deliberating, should we follow the opinion of many and fear it [wisdom] or that of the one who has knowledge of these things and before whom we feel fear and shame more than before all the others. If we do not follow his directions, we shall harm and corrupt that part of ourselves that is improved by just actions and destroyed by unjust actions. Socrates attempted through philosophy to guide both himself and others to a position where their morals and ethics were flawless, leaving them in a position to do no wrong. Socrates believed that if people had false conceptions about virtues, love, justice, piety and other ethical ideas, they could not be trusted to do the right thing. This gave Socrates the justification he felt needed to tear down the positions held by others concerning moral issues. Socrates: We must therefore examine whether we should act in this was
Born circa 469 until 399 B.C.E in Athens, Greece, Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who is credited for laying the fundamentals of modern Western philosophy (Routledge, 1999). Socrates is well known for his iconic trial and execution mainly for his disrespect of the Athenian democracy, his development of what came to be known as the Socratic method and for his concern of virtue. However, much of what we know of Socrates is from Plato's writings, as he did not leave any behind.
Socrates' ethical theory was focused quite strongly on virtue and knowledge. He was adamant that the most important goal is not merely surviving or staying alive but living well, not in the sense of wealth or power, which he criticised the Athenian government of doing so but to live virtuously and justly.
As quoted by Socrates, "Virtue is Knowledge". He believed that living virtuously would ultimately lead to moral excellence and the way to the good life, which would in turn bring Eudemonia (Happiness). However, what is virtue? As mentioned in Plato's Meno, Socrates himself did not know what virtue is. Virtue is defined as any behaviour showing high moral standards. Synonyms...show more content...
He describes it as "a characteristic involving choice, consisting in observing the mean relative to us which is determined by a rational principle, such as a person of practical wisdom would use to determine it". Therefore, he believed that moral virtue is a relative mean between extremes of excess and deficiency. For example, advertising in media is mainly used to promote and appeal to an audience of a certain product. Providing information about the product that is sufficient for buyers to understand the product in terms of function is the mean between releasing it to buyers without knowledge of its functionality and over exaggerating the product's capabilities in order to attract
Biography of Socrates Essay
Socrates is known in todays world as one of the greatest philosophers in history. He brought many revolutionary ideas to ancient Athens during his life and even after his death. He had many followers that beloved him even till death. His tragic death only led him to become a martyr for philosophy. Socrates never wrote anything down so what we know of his life is the from the records left by his followers, mainly Plato. Socrates was born around 470 B.C. in Athens to a family with moderate wealth. His father was a mason and his mother was a midwife. He followed his father's footsteps and became a stone mason as his first job. He was a mason for a few years before he decided to become a philosopher. Because of his family's wealth, he was...show more content...
Socrates was after the pursuit of truth. Because of this he called everything into question(Philosophypages.com). He believed that ultimate wisdom came from understanding oneself. He believed that the perfect government would come about if it was led by people that had a complete understanding of themselves because they would be able to make the best choices. He believed that knowledge and virtue were inseparable. He said that you could define virtue as right knowledge, and that right thinking and right doing can be distinguished from each other, but they can not be separated.(Sproul 31) Socrates also developed the Socratic Method which is still used to this day. The Socratic Method is the method in which you ask provocative questions in order to try to get your opponent and your audience to think through the problem and to develop their own conclusion(Biography.com). He searched for specific definitions by asking people around the city, from the common to the richest of nobles. Socrates also created ethics based on human reasons. He was deemed the wisest man in Athens by an oracle, but after much thought he realized that he was ignorant but unlike the common man, was wiser for accepting his ignorance and he came to the conclusion that ignorance was the beginning of knowledge. He believed that logic was what was left when the facts are exhausted. "One of the greatest
Essay The Life of Socrates
Socrates (470–399 BC) was a credited philosopher born in the city of Athens to father Sophroniscus and mother Phaenarete. Despite his world–renowned contributions, he did not leave any written accounts of his life. His story was taught through the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, along with Aristotle and Aristophanes in various forms of dramatic texts and histories. Among others, Plato wrote many dialogues that quoted Socrates' exact words. Much of what we know comes from this greatly influenced student. However, Plato being a literary artist, leads many to think that he brightened up Socrates' teachings as a result of his positive bias. For this reason, much of his history remains uncertain.
Ancient texts have come to...show more content...
This method of inquiry was known as the Socratic Method, and largely applies to the justice system and morals of today.
Socrates' method of questioning was based on the belief that his wisdom was very limited; "I only know that I know nothing" – Plato, Apology 21d. Unlike many other Athenians, Socrates stated that his wisdom was limited to the awareness of his own ignorance. He was notorious for asking questions, claiming to his lack of knowledge and wisdom, in which he would have to question to acquire some form of the truth.
Contradicting his belief was an oracle that stated that there was no man wiser than Socrates. Socrates had determined that, being only human (as opposed to a god), he had a severe lack of wisdom. This motivated him to approach men of various occupations whom Athens had deemed the wisest. Each man thought he held a great deal of wisdom. Paradoxically, this made the oracle correct. If a man thought highly of his own wisdom, they are contrarily the least wise of all. Socrates was aware of his ignorance, making him truly the wisest.
Socrates' life as a moral critic and social "gadfly" (one that upsets the social status quo) began after the reading of the oracle. He did not agree with the Athenian notion of "might makes right", and often questioned the collective immorality of his region. Instead of accepting societal norms without question, he worked to bring these issues to the attention of the city. Among other concerns,