The Philosophy of Socrates on Souls

639 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Philosophy of socrates

“The unexamined life is not worth living” was spoken by Socrates itself the statement packs a unique punch. Additionally, Socrates said, “in order to live life to the fullest one must analyze and explore the mind itself.” Socrates realized the emphasis his ancestors made on the study of the substantial world and came to the conviction that in order to truly understand the nature of the world we must focus our attention within our souls. The observation of our souls gives us the capacity to not only accept ourselves more fully, but our relationship within the universe. Analyzing our core values and the desires behind our actions, in turn allows for careful examination of the way we live our lives. Subsequently, for Socrates staying on a path of uncovering truth, and inquiry allows the mind room to appreciate the unseen differences in life, and provokes mental and spiritual growth, leading to a productive and more meaningful existence. As for Socrates leading the life of a philosopher the quest for knowledge and wisdom makes life worth living, thus, according to Socrates, having an unexamined life would be juxtaposed with a life, which had no purpose or inherent value at all.

Socrates lived by the importance of the perpetual quest of wisdom through cooperation with others. Socrates concluded that focusing on fulfilling a wider scope of the world through knowledge of our souls was far more valuable than being limited to the study of the anatomical aspects of the universe. By gauging not only the palpable aspects of the world gives a greater understanding of which surrounds us. Socrates acknowledged the significance of this and, concluded that we must focus our study on the mind itself. However Socrates set on self-analysis it did n...

... middle of paper ...

...g." Without life examination and reflection, we would never learn and correct our mistakes. When analyzing the statement "worth living life" prompts us, that the human race is constantly seeking the meaning of what it means to be alive. Leading an unexamined life gives precedence to the quality of life that we lead. Taking time out to examine life allows for spiritual and personal growth. People need to remind themselves that our lives are worth living when we know and have found our purpose; surrounding ourselves around people whom contribute to that meaning and purpose. Furthermore, it’s beneficial to be cognizant that a person’s happiness isn’t dependent on the happiness of others; others may impart knowledge, guidance, and other factors bring about happiness. Hence, a life can be worth living when that life has been morally examined internally and externally.

Show More
Related

  • Plato’s Five Dialogues and Applications of Today’s Society

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates put one’s quest for wisdom and the instruction of others above everything else in life. A simple man both in the way he talked and the wealth he owned, he believed that simplicity in whatever one did was the best way of acquiring knowledge and passing it unto others. He is famous for saying that “the unexplained life is not worth living.” He endeavored therefore to break down the arguments of those who talked with a flowery language and boasted of being experts in given subjects (Rhees 30). His aim was to show that the person making a claim on wisdom and knowledge was in fact a confused one whose clarity about a given subject was far from what they claimed. Socrates, in all his simplicity never advanced any theories of his own but rather aimed at bringing out the worst in his interlocutors.

    Read More

  • The Trail Of Socrates And The Apology Of Plato

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    During this essay, the trail of Socrates found in the Apology of Plato will be reviewed. What will be looked at during this review is how well Socrates rebuts the charges made against him. We will also talk about if Socrates made the right decision to not escape prison with Crito. Socrates was a very intelligent man; this is why this review is so critical. In Plato’s Apology, it seems that overall Socrates did an effective job using the 3 acts of the mind.

    Read More

  • Socrates: Wise and Influential

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socrates life was similar to his philosophies in more ways than one. He was loved, and unloved by the society. He was wise and depicted as such in the statue which represents him, though he would argue himself as unwise. His thoughts and actions have been preserved by the writings of his students, and his ideas have been preserved by actions from the world beyond his time. It is clear why a statue of this man was created; his questions changed the world.

    Read More

  • Free will vs. Determinism

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” He believed that the point of life was to learn from living. If we rigidly adhere to any one line of thinking, if we fail to examine and question our actions and thoughts, if we fail to examine our life, if we fail to learn from our mistakes, then what is the point indeed?

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Theory Of The Soul

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Melissa is more likely to be attracted to Aristotle’s basic orientation and his view on the soul. Melissa’s mind set leans more towards the scientific thought process when it comes to life and death. Like Aristotle her beliefs are more of the here and now. Making due with the reality put in front of them. Even though Melissa’s thoughts and beliefs mostly come with facts she still has some belief that there is something beyond the body that makes Matthew who he is, Matthew. But with that belief she also thinks without brain function there is no Matthew to save. It is a body with no ability to think and live. So like Aristotle she does think that there is a soul that is a part of our bodies. But without the ability to think then you are not living.

    Read More

  • Incongruities Within The Philosophy Of Socrates

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    There appears to be an unnatural and unfounded fascination with the alleged “works” of Socrates. Perhaps that it is simply that the absolutist ideals of philosophers such as Plato and Socrates do not appeal to the post-modern, politically correct, wishy washy, materialistic reader. It is more likely, however, that the problems posed by the philosophy itself and its surrounding circumstances outweigh the insight and philosophical ingenuity.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Between Socrates And Buddhism

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates focuses his philosophy on life entirely on the discovery of knowledge and wisdom, ethics, and the soul. He was obsessed with seeking of knowledge and wisdom: he believed that they are the key to a good life. He went on to state that, “an unexamined life, is a life not worth living.” According to him, knowledge and wisdom correlate to ethical actions, ultimately resulting in a life of happiness, by

    Read More

  • The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Socrates: The Imorality Of The Soul

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Plato’s dialogue, the Phaedo, Socrates gives an account of the immortality of the soul. Socrates does this through a series of arguments. He argues that the soul will continue to exist, and that it will go on to a better place. The argument begins on the day of his execution with the question of whether it is good or bad to die. In other words, he is arguing that the soul is immortal and indestructible. This argument is contrary to Cebes and Simmias who argue that even the soul is long lasting, it is not immortal and it is destroyed when the body dies. This paper focuses on Socrates 's first argument for immortality of the human soul, his counter arguments to Cebes and Simmias ' arguments, and an explanation as to why Socrates first argument for the immorality of the soul does not succeed in establishing that the soul is immortal.

    Read More

  • Democritus, And Socrates: The Existence Of The Human Soul

    1603 Words  | 4 Pages

    It seems that there is one thing that most ancient Greeks can agree on, and that is the existence of the human soul. The obviousness of the soul’s existence could be related to the Latin word for soul, anima, which also means spirit, breath, and life. We also get the word animate from anima, something that is animated has the ability to move of its own accord. It follows from this that humans, being living things with the ability to move of their own accord, have souls. Though there is no disagreement about the existence of souls, the views of human souls vary. Homer, Heraclitus, Democritus, and Socrates all have different views of what the human soul is, what it does, and its level of importance.

    Read More

  • Courage, Virtue, and the Immortality of the Soul: According to Socrates

    1983 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the Laches and the Phaedo, courage and virtue are discussed in depth. Also, arguments for the possibility of the existence of the immorality of the soul are given in the Phaedo. In the Laches, Socrates and two generals, Nicias and Laches, wrestle with how exactly to define courage. After discussing and working their way through two definitions of courage, Nicias proposes a third definition of courage. However, this definition of courage that he proposes is actually the definition of virtue. When the dialogue comes to an end, no definition of courage has been reached.

    Read More

  • The Soul According to Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    The soul can be defined as a perennial enigma that one may never understand. But many people rose to the challenge of effectively explaining just what the soul is about, along with outlining its desires. Three of these people are Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine. Even though all three had distinctive views, the similarities between their views are strikingly vivid. The soul indeed is an enigma to mankind and the only rational explanation of its being is yet to come and may never arrive.

    Read More

  • Socrates: The Most Integral

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pettinger, T. (2012, September 4). Socrates Biography. Biography Online. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/socrates.html

    Read More

  • The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

    1037 Words  | 3 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, “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.

    Read More

  • Reflection On The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    I think it’s important to first examine the circumstances of what was going on when Socrates stated “the unexamined life is not worth living.” To really get a sense of how critical the situation

    Read More

More about The Philosophy of Socrates on Souls

Open Document