Introduction :
Socrates was a Greek Philosopher lived in Athens around 469-399
BCE who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and this methods and
ideas continue to shape philosophical thought and inquiry.
Socrates 's method of
questioning :-
Socrates was considered as a greek philosopher one of the founder of
Western philosophy. When he was in jail, a guard is going to bring him a cup of
poison hemlock to drink after he do so, he will become so sleepy then he will
take his last breaths. He wanted to shares something at his last moments to a
guard that ' i was born in Athens in ancient. You will see that I am a
troublemaker and most people know me as one of the western philosopher but me i
really don't think i know anything at all.
There were men who were considered
wise but i was very sceptical of his wisdom in my life, also wise are not
actually wise. You can never discover its flaws then knowledge stands still like
a stone instead of growing and changing like a tree.
Also he questioned about
love and virtue if someone makes a claim that something is true the best way to
test that truth is to ask a series of challenging questions for example if a man
claims that it is virtuous to love the God Zeus, i would ask what is virtue,
what is love, there other Gods to love if they cannot even explain what
'virtue'? And is how can they say that it is virtuous to love Zeus?
He didn't
published any works or write much down for other to read. A very bright student
named plato used to follow him. Plato would eventually pass Socrates method down
to his student Aristotle, who was the tutor of Alexander the great. Alexander
spread Greek thought to this vast kingdom when the Romans took over Alexander's
Empire and spread Greek tradition even further.
There comed long dark period
where knowledge stood still once again but then something wonderful happens
there was a renaissance of thought and knowledge. His method of questioning is
known as the 'Socratic'. He is the first old man now anyway and he was happy to
be the world's first martyr for the course of truth. Remember the only thing you
know is that you know nothing.
What did Socrates Teach?:-
Socrates professed not to teach anything (and indeed not to know anything important) but only to seek answers to urgent human questions (e.g., “What is virtue?” and “What is justice?”) and to help others do the same. His style of philosophizing was to engage in public conversations about some human excellence and, through skillful questioning, to show that his interlocutors did not know what they were talking about. Despite the negative results of these encounters, Socrates did hold some broad positive views, including that virtue is a form of knowledge and that “care of the soul” (the cultivation of virtue) is the most important human obligation.
Why we study Socrates?:-
We study Socrates because he is a foundational figure in Western philosophy, renowned for his innovative Socratic method of inquiry and his emphasis on ethical living and self-examination. His ideas, particularly his belief that the unexamined life is not worth living, continue to resonate and influence how we approach knowledge, morality, and personal development.
Socrates's influence on Plato:-
Socrates's influence on Plato was profound. Plato, a student of Socrates, adopted and built upon his teacher's philosophical methods, particularly the Socratic method of inquiry, and also explored themes related to justice, virtue, and the nature of reality. While Socrates himself wrote nothing, Plato's dialogues, which often feature Socrates as the main character, provide the primary record of Socrates's thought and are instrumental in understanding his influence.
7 Reasons why Socrates is still Relevant Today:-
1.they have never been rendered Obsolete:-
For starters, its crucial to note that, unlike many other intellectual disciplines of the ancient Greek period such as, say, ancient Greek astronomy, Socrates philosophies remain just as pertinent as the day they were conceived (or at least the day they were recorded by his student Plato).
As one 20th century philosopher, A. N. Whitehead, famously wrote: The safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. He wasnt being entirely serious there, but the inference is clear: Socrates and his disciples theories are a crucial foundation of modern Western philosophical thought all others since have basically been constructed upon them.
2. He taught us to Question Everything:-
The highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others, Socrates once said. His dialectic method of inquiry breaking a subject down into a dialogue between two or more people with differing views, both mutually in search of the same truth taught us to assume nothing and to scrutinize everything, and gave us a system by which to do it. It remains a key element of scientific study today beginning with a hypothesis and then distilling it until a definitive conclusion is reached.
3. He taught us that Life is worthless without Happiness:-
Socrates asked whats the point in battleships and city walls, unless the people building them and protected by them are happy?
If we arent in pursuit of happiness and understanding in our daily lives, then were basically akin to ants toiling at an ant-hill. Sure, we go about our practical tasks instinctually. But we also need to step back and develop an awareness of the world, and form a conscious relationship with our existence.
Socrates asked whats the point in battleships and city walls, unless the people building them and protected by them are happy? The same remains true today unless were mindful of spiritual well-being in our daily toil, were little better off than insects. As he famously put it: The unexamined life is not a life worth living for a human being. Think about that as you slog away
4.He taught us to Ask if There such a Thing as a just War:-
It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong, believed Socrates. As a soldier in the Greek army during the Peloponnesian War, one who distinguished himself several times for his bravery, Socrates saw enough of military conflict to understand first hand the suffering and devastation it caused.
His was one of the first voices in history to ponder whether there really is such a thing as a just war a war for a cause so true it was worth bloodshed on a mass scale. As UK and American forces remain bogged-down in Afghanistan and still lick their wounds from Iraq, its a question that remains incredibly pertinent today.
The Hemlock Cup
Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life by Bettany Hughes
The Hemlock Cup’ puts Socrates’ questions – How should we best live? What makes us good? What makes us happy? – back onto the streets of Athens where
5. The Advocated true freedom of speech:-
Athens was one of the first polities in the world to allow freedom of speech all from lowly shoemakers and merchants to rich nobles were allowed to address the Athenian Assembly. Yet they had to speak with aidos a sense of shame, a knowing-your-placeness as Hughes describes it in The Hemlock Cup.
Socrates rebelled against this convention, by developing a system of true free-speech through his dialogue. Athens was uneasy was this, but he spoke his mind anyway (and ultimately paid the price for it). He was way ahead of his time in standing-up for the free expression of ideas something that remains a cornerstone of democratic society
6. He Invented Philosophical Ethics:-
What is the right way to live? pondered Socrates. He was one of the very first philosophers in history to encourage scholars and common citizens to turn their attention from the outside world to the condition of humankind and to ask a simple, honest and undoubtedly critical question: what is right and what is wrong? With it, he effectively created philosophical ethics the debate between good and evil which has shaped moral and legal codes throughout the Western world.
7.He was a Champion of Human Virtue:-
Shaped probably by some of the terrible sights he witnessed on the battlefields at Potidaea, Amphipolis and Delium during his military service, Socrates developed a notion of human virtue at odds with the then-prevailing attitude of lex talionis an eye for an eye. He believed in a mixture of temperance, justice, piety and courage all of which led ultimately to wisdom. He had seen so much bad, he wanted to search for something good.
Socrates was a firm believer in friendship and community, and common threads between all of mankind. Virtue, he said, is the most valuable of all possessions. We can always benefit from being a bit nicer to each other.
Famous Quotes by Socrates:-
Conclusion:-
Socrates concluded that he was better off than his fellow citizens because, while they thought they knew something and did not, he was aware of his own …
References:-
.png)
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment