Socrates Research Paper

Improved Essays
Socrates
In the sixth century Socrates was not your common man you saw walking around Greece. He was a rather ugly guy that had a burning desire, a desire to study nature and the scope of knowledge within other humans. He looked at the world much differently than others around him. Rather than studying science and cosmology he pursued ethics and logic with his time. Socrates taught other human beings that the main goal of life was to find happiness within his soul. Only then you would truly be happy, he talks as if the human body is a cage that you are trapped in. The only way to escape this cage is to find happiness within your soul. In order to live a good life, a person needed to know the nature of goodness. When Socrates would converse
…show more content…
The question of purpose is a good representation of these questions. Many people have many different beliefs that answer these questions in their own terms. For example Christians believe we are here because of god and should serve him through ought our lives. Atheist believe there is no god and tend to lean on sciences but really don’t know why we are here. The truth is that nobody knows the answer to this question and it is honestly a little frightening when you think about it. Socrates thinks that life begins when you find true happiness within the soul. Almost as if it is a burden to be in your body. Socrates said “Now here is a question for you, isn’t it the case that part of us is part body, part soul?” (Phaedo 79b) It is in this quote that Socrates is claiming for man to have a spiritual side along with his physical body. That spiritual side of you, your soul is immortal in Socrates thoughts. If there is a purpose to life then why would we stay in our physical bodies, what is the point of even going through the …show more content…
A roman philosopher named Cicero once said that Socrates “wrested philosophy from the heavens and brought it down to earth.” Socrates believed that it is human nature to desire happiness. He believed that it was obtainable and teachable through human effort. He based his view of happiness on four cardinal virtues including courage, wisdom, justice, and self-control. To him if you achieve and follow these four virtues then you will have lived a truly excellent and happy life. Out of those four virtues wisdom has the biggest effect on how happy you may be in your life. To begin with, Socrates famously maintained that “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Apology, 38a). Virtue is necessary for happiness, Socrates believed that without virtue one could not achieve true happiness. Therefore, Socrates believed that we should “discuss virtue every day” (Apology, 38a) Socrates says that one cannot become an excellent human being foolishly, blindly, or by accident. It takes a decent effort on a person to be happy. One cannot be happy without being virtuous, and one cannot be virtuous without being

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Virtue, to Socrates, is the act of doing good things and not wicked or shameful actions, which means happiness is achieved by doing good things This leads to his belief that achieving excellence, or good, will give you wealth and everything else that everyone considers happiness both as an individual and publicly (30b). I believe that this connects with the activities he does with his fellow citizens, because he wants to show them what…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When someone is “real”, they do not value the opinion of others, but rather, they have a thirst to please their consciousness. In saying this, Socrates scolded the Athenians for living their lives in such a manner that did not meet these guidelines. By living a life that revolved around wealth, and reputation, he believed that they were ignoring the value and virtue of the soul, and he warned them to live this way, was to live…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Finally, I will conclude this essay with my own thoughts on happiness. Let us begin by analyzing the similarities and differences of happiness according to Aristotle and Seneca. Happiness for Aristotle is something that should be desired in and of itself. Meaning, we adopt relative goods or means to happiness because we choose these goods for the sake of…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    In 399 B.C., one of the most famous trials took place. The philosopher Socrates was accused of not recognizing the gods recognized by the state and corrupting the young and his contemporaries of Athens. Socrates pleads to the jurors that his trial should be ruled by the justice of the case, not by his manner or rhetorical skills he presents. In The Impiety of Socrates, M.F. Burnyeat provides a new way of understanding Plato’s Apology, and attempts to justify the juror’s decision as to the ultimate conviction of Socrates. Burnyeat’s reading strategy suggests that Socrates fails to defend himself against the charges by Maletus and others.…

    • 1920 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Olympians make the citizens think that they are happy and then they get free meals. Socrates argues that he makes people happy by educating them. With education, a person can live a more fulfilling life. The citizens can learn more about the world around them and figure out new ways to improve their lifestyle. Education is very important because it can produce more opportunities within someone’s life.…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The present account will discuss Socrates’ responses to Callicles’ position on what it is that makes a person’s life good. First, I will provide a reconstruction of the two arguments made by Socrates. Secondly, I will give a critique on the arguments. The first response given by…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Book VII, Socrates attempts to find a methodical way to educate the citizens of his new state. He comes up with different areas of study such as Geometry, or Calculations, that should be available for children to learn. Interestingly enough, Socrates proposes that it shouldn’t be required that children learn these areas of study, and only those who take up all areas out of their own interest would be considered for guardian training. If the topics he chose to be taught lead all who learn them towards good and understanding, why would he make the study of such topics optional? Wouldn’t the knowledge of such topics only benefit the city as a whole?…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Plato's Apology Argument

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages

    However, he lived his life peacefully unaware of any absolute truths, and death is no exception. To find such tranquility in the unknown, long before his end, was Socrates’ greatest accomplishment, and it was because of his philosophical attitude. Socrates did find his peace of mind. This allowed him to live intelligently, constantly criticizing the close-minded beliefs of others, and morally, with all respect for other beings and the Gods. Time and time again, the philosophical attitude is used as a tool for philosophers to see beyond their restricted perceptions of reality.…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The exchange happens in the little Peloponnesian town of Phlius, home to Echecrates. Echecrates is being gone to by Phaedo, one of Socrates' admirers who was available at his passing. Echecrates has heard the account of Socrates' trial (described in The Apology), yet has additionally heard that there was a long defer between the trial and Socrates' execution. Phaedo brings up that the day preceding the trial of Socrates, the Athenians had wrapped up the boat to Delos. Consistently, the Athenians send a boat to Delos to observe Theseus' triumph over the minotaur to pay tribute to the god Apollo, and amid this time, no detainees might be executed.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Socrates's Apology

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the Apology, Socrates displayed many virtuous characteristics, though he could at times be taken as either rude or arrogant. Among his virtues was that he sought to impulse the spiritual development of his listeners, as stated in his argument to the Athenians: “as long as I have breath and power I will not cease from philosophy, and from exhorting you and setting forth the truth to any of you whom I meet” (qtd. in Perry 51). Accordingly, his persistent questioning of authorities does not seek to humiliate them but rather to teach them how to lead a good life. Socrates also, in his own words, “knew nothing, and knew that he knew nothing: they (the politicians, poets, and craftsmen) knew little or nothing, and imagined that they knew all things” (3), hence he considered himself to have been sent by the god Apollo to instruct people into wisdom.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Socrates uses multiple analogies such as caves, the sun, a ship, etc., in order to illustrate the many ideas of knowledge. He believes that people have various perceptions of knowledge; however, not all of them are capable of finding truth, which, according to Socrates, is what intelligence is ultimately used for. In books VI-VII from The Republic, Socrates showcases his viewpoint on such topics by the use of a “divided line” and a cave. Through the use of the divided line and cave analogies, Socrates deepens the readers’ understanding of the stages of comprehension done by the mind: illusion, belief, reasoning, and intelligence respectively. The first of the two main images discussed in the book was the divided line.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    CH6: Socrates has Dan digging the vividness of plants while listening to his lecture about how mental concepts and names make people feel as if there is nothing new to see. The following day Soc tells Dan how to attunement to sensory differences allows people to detect little imbalances in their bodies, like toxicity in the kidneys, and take corrective action, like drinking more water. Soc tosses Dan into the air reminding him that the time was, is, and always will be now, and the place is always here. Dan has a vision; The feeling tells Dan to stay in the pentacle (present moment) rather than to go with the monster (which is the past) or go with the woman by the door (the future). Soc confirms Dan got the point of the vision which is…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the section by Phaedo, Socrates states, “I have been saying for some time and at some length that after I have a drunk the poison I shall no longer be with you but will leave you to go and enjoy some good fortunes of the blessed….”(Phaedo 115d). What Socrates essentially meant by this was that the “blessed” are philosophers who understood the truth and did not fear death. They were on earth to think and they understood that the body was something that just got in the way of knowledge. So even though Socrates was going to die, he wanted his friends to seek philosophical knowledge from other philosophers and enrich their souls with knowledge.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Today’s society as a whole is preoccupied by staying up with the latest trends on social media and considers binging their way through a season of their favorite TV show as an accomplishment. An unsurprising, yet disappointingly large portion of today’s population fails to live what many would consider a “good life” (needs to be in quotes?), one that has meaning and purpose. And while few would admit they lead and unaccomplished life, with a bit of further examination it is not hard to see why so many people fall short in this department. _____ Tolstoy’s novella, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of how easy it is to become caught up and preoccupied by the less important things in life and the impact this potentially…

    • 1932 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Every single person has a different standpoint of what is important to make his or her life a good and happy life, and everyone has the control to make that life possible. Aristotle believed the good life is one which thrives and that individuals live happily and opportunely. Socrates was another philosopher that contributed in the argument on the good life and how it should be achieved. According to Socrates, the good life is one that is not materialistic but rather about the mind of an individual. He argued that an individual with a healthy mind tends to live the good life as compared to that who is wealthy.…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays