Socrates as a Classic of Western Philosophy

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Reference list

Introduction

Socrates was a philosopher who lived between the years 469 and 399 B.C.E. He is one of the few men who created an image for himself as a man fully committed to the virtue of truth. His critical reasoning and the way he lived his life has a major influence on western philosophy to date. He was a renowned soldier who also served diligently in politics before retiring to work as a stonemason to look after his family.

Main body

Looking at the Greek’s understanding of virtue we realize that virtue varies from one individual to another since they describe it as a skill. But for Socrates, virtue ought to be similar for everyone at all times and place for that is what real virtue is all about. Meno believes that virtue is actually the unending urge for good deeds but Socrates seems to differ with this point of argument. He argues that considering different people possess different levels of virtue then it has to vary amongst different people (Jowett 2). He goes ahead to mention that, it is very normal all around the world for anyone to want his or her believes to be regarded as good. This is because no one would want what is regarded as bad whether knowingly or unknowingly. The difference in character as seen in different people is a result of differing knowledge possessed by different people. Socrates believes that when a person acquires knowledge on what is right then the outcome is the desire to act on it (Jowett 13).

Another thinker in the name of Aristotle, later on, came to disapprove this argument by Socrates bringing to our attention the different events where the weakness of will affects our moral judgment. At this point Socrates redirects the dialogue asking the question; how is one supposed to know what virtue is? He raises a dilemma on the dialogue with many questions to ponder on, on the aspect of knowledge. For example, “How can an individual learn what he does not know?” He goes further ahead to mention that this could be because this individual already has the information concerning what he is looking for and therefore he does not need to look further. Or maybe he is not aware of what he is looking for and therefore may not know even when he finds it. Socrates, therefore, does not respond to Meno’s question about how virtue is acquired because he tries to make us believe that it is hard for us to learn anything about virtue.

When Socrates was in prison awaiting execution, his friends came up with a plan to help him escape but instead he decided not to follow it up. He was a man ready to face execution rather than abandon his philosophical beliefs (Taylor 124). He looks calm and collected even in the face of his death (Taylor 126). Crito argues that helping Socrates run away from the arms of law would help him achieve his life obligations of ensuring his friends’ reputations are preserved. Socrates strongly dismisses this argument claiming that what matters is the opinion of that person with the relevant knowledge and not that of the general majority. He says that the truth should be the only factor to consider in any decision-making process and therefore everyone should engage the right moral standards in trying to do this. Socrates’ argument applies to him alone considering that we are living in a democratic world where the majority seems to carry the day every time. Democracy can either work against you or for you depending on the numbers that oppose or propose to you.

In the apology, Socrates argues that People should never at any time do wrong even if they are wronged by others. He claims that it is never to disobey the state and therefore nobody should ever think about disobeying this institution (Tredennick 33). Acting right at any moment should be guided by the moral standards set within a society. For this reason, I totally disagree with the argument that people should never disobey the state. The argument is applicable only when the moral standards set within a society approve the actions of a state and disapproves of the actions of an individual.

If ordered by the authorities in our country to do something, before obeying it is your responsibility as a citizen to weigh the impacts of this action on the moral standards of our society before we do it. Personally, I feel that moral standards must always be upheld at any time and therefore if the action is immoral you are justified to disobey. In a job contract, it is a responsibility of an individual to act as per the agreements of the contract while on the other hand, nobody signs a contract with a state.

Socrates’ defense in the apology looks more of a failure than a success considering that Crito is not convinced. The argument that Socrates should not run away from prison but instead face his death to show obedience to the state seems valid to Crito as long as the sentence is totally based on the truth. As long as Socrates’ friends still believe in his innocence than his argument still remains unconvincing to them and therefore a failure. Crito tries to compare the situation of complete obedience to a state to that of a parent and a child. It is wrong for children to disobey their parents, but when they grow old enough to know what is wrong and right, they have the responsibility to question what is wrong. Likewise, the state can never be right every time and therefore people have to rise up and take action whenever necessary.

According to Plato, knowledge is acquired by looking at past experiences that had a direct or even indirect influence on an individual’s life. This argument explains the Socratic dialect concerning knowledge acquisition. He explains that the purpose of learning is not all about offering new information but instead revealing what we already knew from past experiences.

Conclusion

Socrates’ life offers a lot of teaching that can positively apply in our lives today. He offers us a life teaching in truth and how it should be used in making ethical judgments. His mistakes provide an insight into the impacts of every decision-making process with regard to our lives. It should therefore be everyone’s desire to make the right decisions every time and be guided by moral values.

Reference list

Taylor, Alfred. Socrates. California: Read Books Publishers, 2007.

Jowett, Benjamin. Meno. Forgotten books, 2008.

Tredennick, Hugh. The last days of Socrates. London: Penguin Classics, 2003.

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Socrates as a Classic of Western Philosophy

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