Socrate and the Examined Life - 1353 Words

The significance of the Examined life Adrian Eames 951105878 Section leader: Elizabeth Grosz The Trial and Death of Socrates takes place during a time in Socrates life where he becomes most reflective. During these final moments of Socrates life a theme arises, that of the unexamined life. Socrates claims that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† (Apology 38a). Profound as the statement may seem it creates many questions; what is the unexamined life? And why is the idea of an examined life so dear to Socrates? It s clear throughout the dialogues of The Trial and Death of Socrates has a sort of obsession with questioning the world around him, and discovering truth. These dialogues highlight an inner struggle within Socrates as he†¦show more content†¦Socrates uses his apology to to attack the wealthy and those who chase after positions of power â€Å"Wealth does not bring about excellence, but excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively† (apology 30b). This quote provides two insightful pieces o f knowledge about Socrates. The first is that it shows his perception of wealth and what it is to be truly wealthy, to Socrates quality of life is wealth. The second is it shows that Socrates believes that doing the right thing will lead to a better quality of life, or what he considers to be wealth. Above all Socrates greatest interest is the state of ones soul. While Socrates is accused and put to death for being an atheist it is clear that Socrates does believe in the gods and in fact believes them to be all powerful. Socrates seems aware that he is destined to be put to death from the start of the dialogues as his main focus is always on right and wrong, pious and impious. After spending what seems like an eternity trying to define pious and impious Socrates and Euthyphro arrive at a dead end, Socrates shows his determination by saying â€Å"so we must investigate again from the beginning what piety is, as I shall not willingly give up before I learn this† ( Euthyphro 15d). It s clear that SocratesShow MoreRelatedReflection On The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living794 Words   |  4 Pagesand Socrates, the saying â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† proves true in three ways: first, to live a life full of discovery is a direct calling from God; secon d, an examined life leads to humbleness; and lastly, a life spent in investigation will constantly be in pursuit of truth. A vital motive for pursuing an examined lifestyle is if a command to do so comes from the higher power one believes in. From a Christian perspective God rules as the higher power; however, from Socrates’ outlookRead MoreThe Greatest Good For A Man840 Words   |  4 Pageseveryday, for the unexamined life,† solemnly declared Socrates â€Å"is not worth living† (38a). In perhaps his most iconic and profound statement, Socrates establishes himself as an early proponent of eudemonism, presents the foundation for his philosophical ideologies, and debases any life that does not actively pursue knowledge and virtue. Through his persistent introspection and questioning of societal values, Socrates exemplifies key characteristics of the examined life. And although perpetual contemplationRead MoreSocrates Unexamined Life Essay1621 Words   |  7 PagesWhy does Socrates think that the unexamined life is not worth living? Does he have a good defense of his philosophical life? As the wisest man in all of ancient Greece, Socrates believed that the purpose of life was both personal and spiritual growth. He establishes this conviction in what is arguably his most renowned statement: The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates makes it quite evident through the severity of the language in this claim, the extent to which he will liveRead MoreSocrates Life Of The Soul, And Critical Thinking1721 Words   |  7 Pagescycle of work and consumption. Socrates believed that a person’s job in life is to grow both personally and spiritually. Without growth of the human soul, a person is not able to reach the pure serenity of the examined life. Socrates understood wisdom to be one of the most important virtues a person could possess. Seeking true wisdom entails questioning with logical argument, not just accepting things for what they are worth. Contrary to Socrates, Ivan Ilyich lived a life full of social status and inRead More The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living Essay1489 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates is correct when he says the â€Å"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 â€Å"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 aRead MoreApology, By Plato s Apology1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I know, I do not know,† are the words that constitute Socrates’ philosophy that â€Å"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.† In â€Å"Apology,† written by Plato, this ethical belief makes a bold appearance demonstrating that true ignorance only revolves around those who think that they know everything. In â€Å"Apology,† Socrates learns that the wisest men are those who do not think of themselves of wise, and rather make an approach of going beyond an authentic method of inquiry and helping othersRead MorePlato s Apology And Ralph Waldo Emerson s On Self Reliance1559 Words   |  7 Pagesthat living an unexamined life is living a life of ignorance and futility. On the other hand, living an examined life is living an enlightened life full of intelligence. I agree with Plato and Emerson’s similar ideas that without knowledge, life as it is, is n ot worth living. They both argue that having personal beliefs creates an intelligent society. Having knowledge allows for one to set goals and objectives to achieve within a lifetime, which gives purpose to one’s life. In Plato’s â€Å"Apology†Read MorePlato s The Apology Of Socrates874 Words   |  4 PagesIn Plato s â€Å"The Apology of Socrates†, Socrates states, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† and he would rather be put to death them stop his practice of philosophy (The Apology). In this writing, Socrates is charged with not accepting the gods recognized by the state, devising new gods, and corrupting the youth of Athens. However, the word apology in the title is not our modern English interpretation of the word. The name of the speech stems from the Greek word apologia, which translatesRead MoreThe Life and History of Socrates1440 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was one of the greatest philosophers of all time who questioned many individuals about their beliefs on ideas and thoughts that they take for granted by feeling that they know knowledge on a particular subject but utterly find out that they obtain no knowledge or wisdom on that subject that they felt so strongly about, which in turn, ended up being embarrassing to that individual. However Socrates feels that if he did not live and examined his life would have been pointless because he wouldRead MoreThe Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living1344 Words   |  6 Pages1 â€Å"An unexamined life is not worth living† Imagine living a life without change, development and growth. Imagine living a life without any consciousness of what life has to offer. As mind-boggling as this may sound, there are actually many people on this earth that have not taken the effort to know themselves. People should be able to fairly judge their lives. Man should be able to gain wisdom by the examinations of the deeds they’ve done to prepare for the future. Life is no longer worth living