Socrates is correct when he says the “the unexamined life is not worth living” In order to discuss why Socrates is correct, I would like to discuss these various points which consist of: the significance as well as the underlying meaning of his quote “the unexamined life is not worth living”, the difference between an unexamined life and an examined life, specific examples, the importance of a person living an examined life and lastly, whether or not I’m living an examined life. Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived from 469-399 B.C.E. Socrates believed that Philosophy was primarily a social activity, which in fact he made use of quite often. He would find himself roaming the streets of Athens questioning the youth or just anyone who would give him the chance to talk to them. Furthermore, Socrates questions drove people absolutely insane, until the point of absolute consternation if you will. He tried proving a point which is quoted “Look, here we are, two ignorant men, yet two, men who desire to know. I am willing to pursue the question seriously if you are” (Palmer, 31).Ultimately, this meant that the person Socrates was questioning actually didn’t know anything at all, just as well as Socrates himself, so which for the both of them would remain in search of the truth. Upon being put to death for teaching false doctrines and corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates said something before being put to death that would eventually be known as one of the most illustrious quotes throughout philosophy, which would seem to echo into the generations to come. Socrates said the “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Palmer, 33). The significance to this statement can be interpreted in many different ways but despite its ambi... ... middle of paper ... ...e honestly I think I’d be a lost cause and that’s the same for anyone else as well. Although, there are lots of people out there who do live an unexamined life, its not because they don’t care but more so for the reason they don’t have the time or day to even figure them-selves out, there is a difference between the two, don’t get confused. I’m not trying to say that if you live an unexamined life, you’ll never be bound to live an examined one, but it’s just that it would come later on in life that you have this epiphany of who you actually are as person. I guess the saying goes” it’s better late then never”. So in conclusion, I’ve given you all my reasons of why I know that Socrates was correct when he said “the unexamined life is not worth living”, now what the real question comes down to is, which kind of life are you living…Unexamined or Examined?
Socrates established very early in his defense that he knew he had no wisdom, and he based his investigations of Athenians’ wisdom on finding at least one person wiser than he was. He recalled a story of Chaerephon, an old Athenian friend, who went to the Oracle of Delphi to ask whether anybody had more wisdom than Socrates did, and she “’…answered that there was no man wiser.’” (Plato, 3) Socrates explained that since he knew he had no wisdom, he began a search to find a ...
He examined the politicians, poets, and artisans and found that they were almost completely ignorant (except for the artisans, who at least knew well their own areas of expertise), and that all thought they knew things, especially “the greatest things,” but in fact they did not know them. Since Socrates was at least aware of his own ignorance, he ranked himself above them in wisdom. (18)
Most of us find it easier to live in ignorance than to acknowledge our weaknesses. For instance, the prophecy by the oracle at Delphi who claimed "Socrates is the most wise", Socrates could not accept this truth and went as far to test the gods (The Apology). He tested of the Delphic Oracle by finding someone that was wiser than him, but he could not. "Socrates is most wise" because he was aware of his ignorance and questioned “noble” people and gods (The Apology). Those around Socrates, who claimed to have knowledge, were ignorant of their obliviousness. Therefore, justifying why Socrates claimed, “the unexamined life is not worth living”, because in an unexamined life one is living in complete ignorance (The Apology). (The
By maintaining a harmony between what is right and the expression of a person’s own opinion he has made possible the ultimate truth, the belief in what has worked and staying within the boundaries of decent and god-fearing society. The laws of the society in which Socrates lived condemned him to die for his own conviction and the reasons for Socrates to remain and accept the punishments of that society have proved to be wise and justified.
In “Apology” by Plato, Socrates stated, “… there are plenty of persons, as soon as enough discover, who think that they know anything, but really know little or nothing” (Plato 32). In other words, humans are imperfect and this explains the limited nature of human knowing. Even when we consider things for a while and in our best operation, we can still make mistakes because we are imperfect. At the same time, the student must know his/her purpose for doing something. “God orders me to fulfill the philosopher’s mission of searching into myself and other men….” (Plato 35), stated Socrates. He knows that his job was to teach the young men to follow his footsteps and live a good and virtuous life. Just like Socrates, our modern education system should be concerned with making sure that students are learning what is truly important. There will be different levels of education as one goes through his or her life cycle. The modern model represents the way of growing through education and continues to change. If one is motivated, he or she will be successful in his or her life and become a better educated person. In the “Apology,” Socrates visited the politicians, poets and artisans to see which group was wiser than him. He realized that all three groups lacked knowledge in some type of way. Socrates stated that the politician “knows nothing, and thinks that he knows” (Plato 31). Both the
Socrates goes on by referring to a Greek poet Pindar, to highlights the belief that the human soul is immortal and that every time “it comes to an end-that which is called death – and at another is born again” (81b). Thus, he concludes that given that the “soul has been born many times, and has seen all things both here and in the other world” (81d), then it must have acquired all knowledge possible already. Further, he adds that since the soul has indeed learned everything already, then there is no such thing as “seeking and learning [for they] are in fact nothing but recollection” (81d). To illustrate his point, Socrates uses a slave boy who most likely is very limited in his knowledge of things. He uses a process whereby he simply start by interrogating the boy and leading him to give his opinion on geometrical questions. He concludes that, the fact that the boy is able to answer positively, negatively or by a number to the questions asked, it must be that “his opinions were somewhere in him” (85c), and that “the spontaneous recovery of knowledge that is in him is recollection”
Socrates was a sage and was described to be jovial, witty, and silly, He asked questions such as “what is justice?” and “what is love?” as well as deeper questions like “What is the meaning of life?” He liked to argue with people and was often considered a “gadfly”. Socrates followed the Oracle at Delphi, and the saying “know thyself!” had come to define his life. Socrates, as an answer to the question “Who am I really?”, discovered he had a soul. The Socratic soul was immortal, could be detached from the body, and continued thinking after death. Socrates suggested the there are things that we know that we could not possibly know from mere experience, and that the soul must have existed before the body. He
After reading the section, “Meno” in the book, Philosophy of Education by Steven Cahn, I believe that what Socrates thinks about the idea of knowing what you do not know is that it makes you wiser. Most men that believe they know certain things usually are the ones who run off of right opinions. In the case of their right opinions, sometimes they turn out to have the right idea and this leads them down the correct path in that one situation. A man full off of false knowledge may seem as valuable as a man who actually knows because they have guessed right, but they are really not. A man that does not know and he knows he does not obtain this knowledge, is truthfully the only wise man. This man knows that there is a value somewhere in the things
This quote also shows that Socrates is also trying to convince the people around him that there are more worthwhile things than money and expensive things, such as knowledge and wisdom. Overall, Socrates values his teachings (which are wisdom and gaining knowledge is more important than money and materialistic things) so much that he is willing to “die many times” (The Apology) to try to convince people that his teachings are precious life lessons that will benefit the
Plato quotes Socrates when he says “ the life unexamined is the life not worth living,” (page 526) this quote allows readers to look at life from a new perspective. His whole life Socrates is focused on figuring out what people know and what they don’t know. He also asks himself these questions. When he says that “the life unexamined is the life not worth living” he means to say that people who don’t ask questions don’t understand the meaning of life. This
unexamined life is not worth living” after looking the quote over, what socrates is trying to say is that living in a world that is normal to the person but without knowing their surroundings is not a world living in. to support the answer in The Truman Show a use dramatic irony is use from the beginning of the movie where the audience knows Truman is on tv but what Truman did not know is that he is on tv and doesn't know it explains why their so many cameras where Truman lives and how everybody can see him. Another example was dramatic irony where Christoph speaks to Marlon in a small headphone and script lines to say to Truman and what comes out
After having heard the guilty verdict of his trial, Socrates hypothetically entertains a question that he suspects many in the courtroom would want to know. He asks “But Socrates, if you leave us, will you not be able to live quietly, without talking?” (Grube 39). He immediately rejects this idea, explaining that he believes the “unexamined life is not for man worth living” (Grube 39). This sentiment, and Socrates’ philosophy in general, have had a huge influence on western philosophy. Still, what is meant by this statement remains up to interpretation and, even with an agreement about what it means, the statement remains controversial. I aim to tackle both issues: I hope to interpret and define what Socrates meant by the statement and to
In the Apology by Plato, Socrates made many bold and inspiring statements leading the reader to have to interpret it on their own terms. He stated, “I am likely to be wiser . . . to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know” (21d). Later, Socrates went on to say, “I go around doing nothing but persuading both young and old among you not to care for your body or your wealth in preference to or as strongly as for the best possible state of your soul” (30a-b). These statements and how they support one another can only be understood by analyzing what is wisdom, excellence, and who is fit to teach these to others.
Socrates spoke to the young people of Athens about the many other teachings that are present not just the ones that the state taught. In life he provoke thought, reason, and always question ever thing, even if the questions were hard to ask or answer. In his death Socrates did not fear. He did not fear death, because no one had ever come back from the dead to tell him if it was a bad or good experience. He did not fear the afterlife, because no one had ever told him about his or her experience in the
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, “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 would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it.