Socrates story of life

Socrates (469/470-399 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and is considered the father of
western philosophy. Plato was his most famous student and would teach Aristotle who would
then tutor Alexander the Great. By this progression, Greek philosophy, as first developed by
Socrates, was spread throughout the known world during Alexander's conquests.
Socrates was born c. 469/470 BCE to the sculptor Sophronicus and the mid-wife Phaenarete. He
studied music, gymnastics, and grammar in his youth (the common subjects of study for a young
Greek) and followed his father's profession as a sculptor. Tradition holds that he was an
exceptional artist, and his statue of the Graces, on the road to the Acropolis, is said to have been
admired into the 2nd century CE. Socrates served with distinction in the army and, at
the Battle of Potidaea, saved the life of the General Alcibiades.
When he was middle-aged, Socrates' friend Chaerephon asked the famous Oracle at Delphi if
there was anyone wiser than Socrates, to which the Oracle answered, "None." Bewildered by this
answer and hoping to prove the Oracle wrong, Socrates went about questioning people who were
held to be 'wise' in their own estimation and that of others. He found, to his dismay, "that the
men whose reputation for wisdom stood highest were nearly the most lacking in it, while others
who were looked down on as common people were much more intelligent" (Plato, Apology, 22).
The youth of Athens delighted in watching Socrates question their elders in the market and,
soon, he had a following of young men who, because of his example and his teachings, would go
on to abandon their early aspirations and devote themselves to philosophy (from the Greek
'Philo', love, and 'Sophia', wisdom - literally 'the love of wisdom'). Among these were
Antisthenes (founder of the Cynic school), Aristippus (the Cyrenaic school), Xenophon (whose
writings would influence Zeno of Cithium, founder of the Stoic school) and, most famously,
Plato (the main source of our information of Socrates in his Dialogues) among many others.
Every major philosophical school mentioned by ancient writers following Socrates' death was
founded by one of his followers.
The diversity of these schools is testimony to Socrates' wide ranging influence and, more
importantly, the diversity of interpretations of his teachings. The philosophical concepts taught
by Antisthenes and Aristippus could not be more different, in that the former taught that the good
life was attained by self-control and self-abnegation, while the latter claimed a life of pleasure
was the only path worth pursuing. It has been said that Socrates' greatest contribution to
philosophy was to move intellectual pursuits away from the focus on 'physical science' (as
pursued by the so-called Pre-Socratic Philosophers such as Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes,
and others) and into the abstract realm of ethics and morality. No matter the diversity of the
schools which claimed to carry on his teachings, they all emphasized some form of morality as
their foundational tenet. That the 'morality' espoused by one school was often condemned by
another, again bears witness to the very different interpretations of Socrates' central message.
While scholars have traditionally relied upon Plato's Dialogues as a source for information on the
historical Socrates, Plato's contemporaries claimed he used a character he called 'Socrates' as a
mouth-piece for his own philosophical views. Notable among these critics was, allegedly,
Phaedo, a fellow student of Socrates, whose writings are now lost, and Xenophon,
whose Memorablia presents a different view of Socrates than that presented by Plato.
However his teachings were interpreted, it seems clear that Socrates' main focus was on how to
live a good and virtuous life. The claim atrributed to him by Plato that "an unexamined life is not
worth living" (Apology, 38b) seems historically accurate, in that it is clear he inspired his
followers to think for themselves instead of following the dictates of society and the accepted
superstitions

concerning the gods and how one should behave. While there are differences between Plato's and
Xenophon's depictions of Socrates, both present a man who cared nothing for class distinctions
or 'proper behavior' and who spoke as easily with women, servants, and slaves as with those of
the higher classes.
His contribution to philosophy

Socratic Technique-
Socrates’ most important contribution to Western philosophy was his technique for arguing a
point, known as the Socratic technique, which he applied to many things such as truth and
justice. This is described in Plato’s “Socratic dialogues.” An issue would be divided up into a
series of questions, the responses to which progressively led to the desired outcome.The Socratic
technique is a negative strategy for gradually disproving unwanted theories, leaving you with the
most logical one. It aims to make the individual examine their own beliefs and challenge the
legitimacy of such convictions.The importance of this strategy cannot be understated and has led
to Socrates earning the title of the “father of political philosophy, morality, and good logic.” The
Socratic technique is frequently
regarded as an essential part of the American legal system.

Philosophical Beliefs-
The beliefs of Socrates, separate from those of Plato, are hard to define as little in the way of
solid proof exists to separate the two. The vast majority of Plato’s “exchanges” might be simply
the thoughts of Socrates reinterpreted by Plato, and several researchers think Plato adapted the
Socratic style to make Socrates and the other characters difficult to recognize. Others contend
that he had his own hypotheses and beliefs.It is therefore difficult to isolate Socrates and his
work from that of Plato and necessary to always keep in mind that the work of Socrates could
actually be attributable to Plato and vice versa. The issue is further confounded because Socrates
was famous for posing questions and not supplying an answer, preferring others to form their
own conclusions.

Socratic Paradoxes-
A significant number of the beliefs generally credited to Socrates are deliberately confusing
because they present ideas which, at first, appear contradictory. These are called paradoxes. The
most famous paradox is: “I know that I know nothing“.In that paradox Socrates claims that he
knows nothing, but if that’s true, then how could he even know that he knows nothing.The
expression “catch 22” can be applied to all of Socrates’ paradoxes, as problems which cannot be
easily solved as they do not have an obvious answer.
Learning-
The paradox “I know that I know nothing” is introduced in Plato’s Apology and is an indication
of Socrates’ self-awareness, as he professes to his own lack of knowledge. Socrates believed that
in order to come to a conclusion, a person needed to approach it with “thought, sense, judgment,
viable knowledge, [and] prudence.” He also believed that bad behavior was the result of
ignorance, and those who made mistakes did so because they knew no better.The one thing
Socrates did profess to know about was “the specialty of affection.” This is related to the word
erôtan, which means to ask questions, showing that Socrates linked the ideas of love and posing
questions about it.He does profess to be insightful during Apology, in which he says he is shrewd
“in the restricted feeling of having human wisdom.” Socrates generally doubted that people, as
opposed to the gods, could attain true knowledge. On the one hand, he said there was a line
between human ignorance and perfect learning; on the other, he shows a strategy for attaining
knowledge through Diotima’s speech in Plato’s Symposium and in the Allegory of the Cave in
Republic.

Righteousness-
Socrates believed that people should strive for goodness rather than material interests such as
wealth. He encouraged others to focus more on companionship and making connections with
other people because he felt this was the ideal path for individuals to come together as a group.
He bears this idea out when he calmly accepts his own death sentence. Rather than fleeing to live
a life alone and in exile, he accepts his punishment from society for going against the general
beliefs of the population.Socrates focused on ethics and morality in many of his teachings. These
ideals spoke to the essential characteristics that an individual should possess, chief of which were
philosophical or scholarly excellence. He stated that “the unexamined life does not merit living
[and] moral temperance is the main thing that matters.”

Governmental Issues-
Socrates’ resistance to the vote-based system is often disputed, and the question is frequently
posed during philosophical discussions when trying to establish exactly what Socrates did and
did not believe. The most compelling evidence that Socrates did not believe in democracy is in
Plato’s Republic, although this is generally viewed as a second-hand account through the
“exchanges.” In Plato’s Apology, Socrates is seen not to pursue regular legislative issues,
frequently expressing that he could not advise individuals how to experience their lives when he
didn’t yet see how to experience his own.Socrates’ thoughts on democracy are one of the topics
underscored in the 2008 play Socrates on Trial by Andrew David Irvine. Irvine contends that as a
direct result of his belief in Athenian majority rule, Socrates was happy to acknowledge the
decision of his fellow citizens. As Irvine puts it: “Amid a period of war and incredible social and
scholarly change, Socrates felt constrained to express his perspectives straightforwardly, paying
little attention to the results. Subsequently, he is remembered today not just for his sharp mind
and high moral principles, but also for his steadfastness to the view that in a vote-based system,
the ideal path is for a man to serve himself, his companions, and his city – notwithstanding amid
times of war – by being faithful to, and by talking freely about the truth.”
Better to Suffer an Injustice than to Commit One-
Socrates angers Polus with the argument that it is better to suffer an injustice than to commit one.
Polus argues that while it is bad to commit an injustice, it is worse to suffer one. Socrates
contends that one bad deed will lead to another, much worse one, and this is bad for a person’s
soul. Doing a bad deed undermines the spirit, and therefore it is the worst offence an individual
can commit against him or herself. Socrates goes on to say that if you do commit a crime against
another, it is better to seek punishment than evade it because punishment will cleanse or purify
the spirit.

Human Wisdom-
The idea of human knowledge is a crucial theme in Apology, although it may not have been fully
resolved. Socrates’ human wisdom before Apollo’s prophet is called into doubt by his
affirmation that he was not knowledgeable by any means, claiming that human understanding
can only go as far as “philosophy.” Socrates did demonstrate human understanding before the
prophet because he epitomized knowledge, even though he didn’t realize that he did. This
assertion is confirmed by the challenges set in the Apology, specifically the question: Why did
Socrates keep on looking for knowledge that he thought was difficult to acquire?

Socratic Debate and Basic Reasoning-

The craft of Socratic debate is associated with basic reasoning because the ability to debate a
subject requires considered thought and reasoning. Socrates believed in the need to examine the
learning process itself and to work out how to go about it. Basic and intelligent reasoning centers
around what ought to be accepted or done about a topic. Socratic debate adds the extra
dimension of thought to basic reasoning by concentrating on profundity and argument, and
examining the reality or authenticity of thought. Socrates contended that an absence of
information isn’t necessarily bad, and students must try to understand what they don’t know
through the process of reasoning and basic thinking.Basic reasoning and Socratic debate both
look for significance and truth. Basic reasoning allows a person to screen, evaluate, and maybe
reconstitute or re-direct their reasoning. Instructive reformer John Dewey defined this as an
intelligent request “in which the scholar turns a subject over in the psyche, giving it genuine and
back-to-back consideration.” Socratic debate allows an individual to engage in self-coordinated,
restrained enquiry to accomplish that objective.

Socratic Ethics-
Socrates’ emphasis on morality had a definite aim. He expected philosophy to prompt a change
in the state of mind and critical activities of individuals, which would have a wider impact on the
world.We often only see Socrates through the eyes of others, but both his companions (like Plato
and Xenophon) and adversaries (like Aristophanes) concur that he thought an individual could
affect society in general by their decisions. He also believed that this theory was applicable in
our day-to-day lives. Socrates’ central question “What should we do?” can be used in any
circumstance where a decision needs to be made, and it is universally applicable.

Socratic Irony-
Socratic irony is a process used in the Socratic teaching method. It involves a person assuming a
position of ignorance in order to encourage others to make statements that can then be
challenged. In this way, Socrates could claim that his opponents were knowledgeable and play
down his own insight by pretending that he did not know the answer to the question raised.

Care of the Soul-

Socrates found that often a person would concern him or herself with thoughts about money,
fame, or appearance, and disregard the spirit. He believed that the task set for him by the gods
was to remind people of the importance of the soul or spirit. He argued that wealth does not
bring about greatness, but being a good citizen leads to riches for allSocrates believed that care
of the soul should apply to the whole city of Athens and that the gods offered him to the city as a
blessing and to help improve it. He therefore argued that this proved that he was not working
against the gods, but for them. Socrates compared himself to a horsefly constantly trying to
awaken the sleepy city and rouse it to action. He believed that without philosophical debate, the
majority rule government would end up stale, self-satisfied, and in danger of causing harm to
itself and the people.Socrates considered it his duty to confront and challenge people so that they
could begin to inspect themselves.

His famous quotation

“I examined the poets, and I look on them as people whose talent overawes both themselves and
others, people who present themselves as wise men and are taken as such, when they are nothing
of the sort.
From poets, I moved to artists. No one was more ignorant about the arts than I; no one was more
convinced that artists possessed really beautiful secrets. However, I noticed that their condition
was no better than that of the poets and that both of them have the same misconceptions. Because
the most skillful among them excel in their specialty, they look upon themselves as the wisest of
men. In my eyes, this presumption completely tarnished their knowledge. As a result, putting
myself in the place of the oracle and asking myself what I would prefer to be — what I was or
what they were, to know what they have learned or to know that I know nothing — I replied to
myself and to the god: I wish to remain who I am.
We do not know — neither the sophists, nor the orators, nor the artists, nor I— what the True,
the Good, and the Beautiful are. But there is this difference between us: although these people
know nothing, they all believe they know something; whereas, I, if I know nothing, at least have
no doubts about it. As a result, all this superiority in wisdom which the oracle has attributed to
me reduces itself to the single point that I am strongly convinced that I am ignorant of what I do
not know.”
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think”
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
“Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual.”
“The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which
of these two is better only God knows.”
“Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.”
His influenced on the society

Legal cross-examination in a court of law is based squarely on the Socratic (elenctic)

method. He gave us reductio ad absurdum.
But that aside, he asked the profound questions of human existence. What makes us happy?
What makes us good? What is virtue? What is love? What is fear? How should we live? What
is the point of cataloguing the world without loving it?"

Socrates had a major impact on civilization. His influence in Islamic culture was profound.
He was one of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. His exhortation to "know ourselves", to be
honest and do what we know to be right—not to hide behind the herd—shaped philosophy
and is now the goal of individualism. Philosophy, politics, law, are all indebted to him.
Socrates broke new ground in the evolution of human consciousness.

He was a mystic — but there were mystics before him. What distinguished him from others
was that he was able to connect his mystical experiences to the rational part of the mind.
This enables us, who inherit his legacy, to talk about, reason, analyze and more fully
integrate into our conscious lives the moral and spiritual levels of consciousness associated
with mysticism.

For example: many mystics intuited that they possessed an immortal soul. So did Socrates.
But he was able to connect this mystical level of experience with the rational philosophical
approach of earlier Greeks, developing it into an entire ‘system’ of virtue ethics.

At a more practical level, Socrates made great strides in the field of human ethics, the
science that asks, “what is the best way to live?” His answer was so revolutionary that it
required several different philosophical schools (Platonism, Stoicism, Aristotelianism,
Cynicism, Skepticism, etc.) to work out the implications. We are still doing so.
 My personal reflection about Socrates philosophy

Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of
society. He attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than
theological doctrine. Socrates pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for
happiness

The Value of Philosophy in my view is making the deep thoughts into easy understandings. Our
culture today is dangerous, because we are rich in technology but poor in purposes. By
philosophy you can enlarge yourself because philosophy is not in the answers, but in the question
itself. Just like what Socrates had said “The unexamined life is not worth living.” it means that
you need to analyze every actions we make. That's why we make mistakes because by that we
learn and we will know what to do incase we encounter them again. But if we dont examine our
life we keep making the same mistake over and over again without learning from it. Making
philosophy to be understandable is we need to analyze every detail of that thought to make it
more easy to understand.