Socrates and his Philosophy Essay - 1752 Words

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 ones†¦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 awareShow MoreRelatedBiography of Socrates, An Annotated Bibliography1581 Words   |  6 Pages Bibliographical Annotations FUTTER, DYLAN. â€Å"Socrates Human Wisdom.† Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review 52.1 (2013): 61-79. Humanities International Complete. Print. Dylan, the senior lecturer of the Department of Philosophy at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and author of several articles provides the argument that a satisfactory interpretation of human wisdom can be given in terms of â€Å"philosophia†.He confirms his analysis by its resolution of some enduring difficulties in theRead MoreThe Reconciliation Of Two Positions1696 Words   |  7 Pagesin history, Socrates not only helped to set up the foundations for Western philosophy, but the legacy he left behind is something that is still being discussed today by historians and philosophers alike. Socrates is renowned for standing up for his beliefs even in the midst of death as portrayed in Plato’s account of Socrates’ defense speech, Apology, in which he gave during his 339 B.C. trial. It is in this eminent speech that Socrates is able show the dedication he has for philosophy, even goingRead More Socrates Essay1087 Words   |  5 PagesAccusers and Athen ian Law Of all confrontations in political philosophy, the biggest is the conflict between philosophy and politics. The problem remains making philosophy friendly to politics. The questioning of authoritative opinions is not easily accomplished nor is that realm of philosophy - the pursuit of wisdom. Socrates was the instigator of the conflict. While the political element takes place within opinions about political life, Socrates asks the question quot;What is the best regime and howRead MorePlatos Apology And Crito1036 Words   |  5 PagesPlato’s â€Å"Apology† and â€Å"Crito†, I believe Socrates’ philosophy of not doing harmful things on purpose, because of ignorance, or the act of doing it unwillingly, is false. First I will show you some contradictions introduced in the books of the Apology, and Crito and explain them. Next, I will explain how in the present day Socrates philosophy is false due to the vices of mankind, with evidence from the Apology, then I will show you how Socrates might argue his point and a counter argument in presentRead More Socrates Essay601 Words   |  3 Pages Philosophy in ancient Greece was merely a type of argument, until a pioneer named Socrates showed the world a new way of thinking. Socrates was born in 469 BC in Athens (where he lived all his life) as the son of Sophroniscus, a stonemason, and Phaenarete. In his life, Socrates changed common philosophy, which was a study of why the way things are, into a consideration of the virtue and health of the human soul. Rather than writing books and recording his thoughts himself, he orally passedRead More The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living Essay1051 Words   |  5 Pages Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life wouldRead MoreThe Socratic Problem Of Socrates1462 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was born in 469 B.C.E., in Athens, Greece. He was a loyal citizen of Athens who also served as a soldier as required for Athens males. His philosophy, or as it was called, his Socratic Method, laid the stones for what became to be known as Western philosophy. However, Socrates remains one of the most powerfu l, yet misunderstood and enigmatic figures of philosophy. What is known about Socrates comes from writings of other philosophers, such as his follower Plato, and Plato’s student, AristotleRead MoreWhat Is Philosophy According to Socrates Essay970 Words   |  4 PagesWhat 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 whatRead MoreSocrates s Philosophy On The Western Civilization1440 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates is one of the most popular philosophers of all the times. He was the first to study ethics and principles of morality and he always claimed that he did not put knowledge in anyone, yet asked serious questions which contributed to numerous debates (Class notes). Despite his high intellectual level, Athens condemned him with several charges such as the corruption of youth as the society of this time viewed secular knowledge as an obstruction to the achievement of spiritual enlightenment (ClassRead MoreGreek Philosophy And The Greek Creation1593 Words   |  7 Pages The word â€Å"philosophy†, comes from the Ancient Greek word (Phileo), meaning â€Å"to love† or â€Å"to befriend† and (Sophia), meaning â€Å"wisdom†; making philosophy stand for â€Å"the love of wisdom†. Philosophy is about understanding the fundamental truths about ourselves, the world in which we live in, and our relationships to the world and amongst each other. It is the study of general problems connected with existence, values, language, and mind. Those who study philosophy (philosophers), engage in asking