Socrates' Unexamined Life Essay

Through several dialogues Plato gives readers accounts of Socrates’ interactions with other Athenians. While some may think of him as a teacher of sorts, Socrates is adamant in rejecting any such claim (Plato, Apology 33a-b). He insists that he is not a teacher because he is not transferring any knowledge from himself to others, but rather assisting those he interacts with in reaching the truth. This assistance is the reason Socrates walks around Athens, engaging in conversation with anyone that he can convince to converse with him. An assertion he makes at his trial in Plato’s Apology is at the center of what drives Socrates in his abnormal ways, “the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being” (38a). Socrates, through aporia, looks to lead an examined life to perfect his soul and live as the best person he can be. This paper looks to examine the ‘unexamined life’ and the implications rooted in living a life like Socrates’.

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who lived from 470 BC to 399 BC. Today he is credited with many influential philosophical ideas and quotes, but one in particular “An unexamined life is not worth living”. What Socrates means by this quote is that a life without the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is no life at all. Socrates reflects on this idea to his audience of jurors during his trial. The men of Athens felt threatened by Socrates, believing him spreading his philosophical ideas would disrupt their way of life and order in the city of Athens. During his trial Socrates pleads his ignorance about the world around him and that all he wishes to do is to explore his thought and attempt to gain as much knowledge as he can. Throughout his life Socrates has gained a number of enemies and critics just for being a curious person. He understands this and preaches it to his jurors at the trial explaining to them that he would venture around the city conversing with professionals of a certain craft, not for the purpose of exposing their ignorance of the world around them but to learn for himself along with attempting to teach them to think critically and on their own. Socrates uses the craftsmen as an example in his defense. He explains that he approaches the craftsmen to become more knowledgeable about their profession and that they would be wiser than he was about the subject, he goes on to say “the good craftsmen seemed to me to have the

Socrates' belief was that he was called on by the Gods to live his life examining others and himself. He believed the necessity of doing what one thinks is right even in the face of universal opposition, and the need to pursue knowledge even when opposed. "I became completely convinced, to the duty of leading the philosophical life by examining myself and others."¹ Socrates believed that to desert this idea was ridiculous and would make his life absurd. Socrates chose to live a life of truth and not to worry about things that did not matter. For Socrates not to live his life by the plans and requests of Gods it would be disobedient and untrue to the Gods. Socrates was brought to court to defend

In this post it is my goal to analyze Plato’s The Apology showing that Socrates statement of “an unexamined life is not worth living” stands as Socrates statement of his own worth, wisdom, and place in Athenian society.

Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy. On one hand he is the most influential on another he is the least known. In his later life he is seen to stalk the streets barefoot, to spite shoemakers. He went about arguing and questioning people and revealing inconsistencies in their beliefs. He began teaching students but never accepted payments for doing so. This was possible because of the inheritance left by his father. Socrates wrote nothing of himself so we are dependent upon the works of both his students and associates who present a view as close to

Socrates is eventually found guilty and is to fight no longer for his innocence, but against a penalty of death. As Socrates speaks to the jury he begins to speak more of the meanings of life opposed to the need for life. He claims, “it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men.. (Cahn pg. Apology39 38a1-4).” Although Socrates never explicitly states why he feels this way, but upon reading this statement and analyzing its context one can grasp a sense of this argument. Socrates is arguing that life is unlived if it is not questioned and our thoughts are not examined. He understands that his wisdom is far greater than that of the jury, and he feels that all other punishments would leave him unhappy and dissatisfied. He would rather suffer death than to go against the laws of the state, although he is being wrongly convicted. He feels he has lived a good life and a true life because he was able to examine himself and others true

To Socrates, life is not meaningful, unless you have reached a certain level of self-awareness. Socrates believed that wisdom was one of the most important things to pursue, and that if you do not try to pursue the highest level of wisdom you have wasted parts of your life. Socrates also has a strong sense of “virtue” and belief in God. He says “I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy... Understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times.”

Throughout this reading includes the definition of a quote from Socrates that states, “The unexamined life is not worth living”? which explains his impiety for his corruption youth that lead to a sentence of death in court and in addition, the quote stated that Socrates’ ignorance in his conversations confused others so that Socrates can have others to believe that he’s always right. This statement relates to Socrates’ attitude and understanding towards his sentence of death and his commitment to his audience is to achieve a valuable lesson. Socrates’s religion and beliefs guided him to continue to speak the truth and to live a life that he didn’t identified himself. In addition, the quote stated that Socrates’ ignorance in his

Socrates found his purpose through oracles and dreams by a divine power, “…since I was trying to find out the meaning of the oracle, I was bound to interview everyone who had a reputation for knowledge.” (Apology 22a), from the oracle of Apollo, Socrates believed that his purpose was to philosophize. Socrates would question reputable wise men and try to prove the oracle that he (Socrates) was not the wisest man. After interviewing men with a high reputation, Socrates began to expose them for their ignorance and their deficiency. He also determined that his wisdom was of no value, yet he was the wisest mortal. He also established that there are three levels of wisdom; “real wisdom” (the highest), being “wisest among men” (the middle), “not being wise, but seeming wise, especially to oneself” (the lowest). Even after establishing his purpose and proving the oracle, he felt as if he should still philosophize (Mission from God, pg. 20). Along with morality, Socrates had the belief that our purpose in life was to examine how to live, he thought that we must come

One of Socrates most famous quotes is arguably when he said that “The unexamined life is not worth living for a man.” This quote was said on his trial against the Athenians and since then it has provoked a lot of thought. What does he mean? Why does he think that? Is it true? Well in this paper I will talk a bit about this and put forth my opinion on the matter as well as discuss what the other famous philosopher Descartes may have thought about this quote.

To question what no man has questioned before, that is what we praise Socrates for. Socrates’ Philosophies grew out of his questioning of the social norm. Using this technique, he seems to always focus on three main aspects: justice, virtue, and morality. Socrates claims that he has no wisdom. He states, “I know I have no wisdom, great or small.” The world has an infinite number of possibilities and anything he declares understanding, is extremely minimal compared to the possibilities that exist in the world, there is so much out there that hasn’t been exposed yet. Socrates had many thoughts and ideas over things people never even took time to think about. He thought differently and always more intensely than others. Socrates says that knowledge is essential to a person. He concluded that a person’s evil and wrong actions come from their ignorance and their failure to investigate. He was also convinced that no one knowingly does wrong, if a person does not know what is right, then that person will do wrong, but in the other hand, if the person knows what is right, they will most definitely do right. He once mentioned that “the unexamined life is not worth living” introducing the idea of Universal Definitions, meaning although individual things may vary and be constructed differently the definitions of how they are similar, are permanent. The most important thing about Socrates was the fact that he was a teacher. He taught anywhere and everywhere, he even went up to people,

Everyone has a life to live; however, there are quite different between the unexamined life and the examined life. In the word of Socrates,” The unexamined life, for a human, is not worth living”, “the unexamined life” means people have no question, they never question the life, and they don’t want to know about the truth, and they don’t know who they are. Those people just get up every day, go to work and go to sleep, keep repeating these and never wonder what is the meaning of their life. On the other hand, the examined life is that people always searching for reasons, they know who they are, and they know who they want to be and keep working hard, try to improve themselves. Therefore, the unexamined life is not worth living because they

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.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Apology, 41e) Socrates held this statement to himself to a point where he allowed the courts to take his life because they don’t want him to continue his quest of insights, questions and knowledge. The philosophy of Socrates as explained by Plato offers an important concept of what it means to live the examined life and what makes a life either examined or unexamined. The combination of Euthyphro, The Apology and the Republic help understand what Socrates means when he says that the unexamined life is not worth living, proving it what he believed, a valid statement. What Socrates means by an unexamined life, is we are just coasting through and not making any decisions or asking any questions. What Socrates means by living the examined life, that it’s logical when people are striving to know themselves and to understand our lives if they have any meaning or value to them. An examined life would be trying to understand your purpose of why you are here and what you are presently thinking. By examining your life, you therefore are understanding yourself and will not be subject to actions motivated by passion or instinct.Socrates uses examples defending his case about the unexamined life. “That is because I am so desirous of your wisdom, and I concentrate my mind on it, so that no word of yours may fall to the ground.” (Euthyphro, 18d) Socrates could not see a point in living if you were unable to ask questions and challenge your way

"An unexamined life is not worth living."  (Plato, trans. 1871, pa.68)   As Socrates stands against the court, on his final moments, he stands against his firm beliefs, and his insubordinate teachings.  He feels that it is his mission, by God, and his purpose, to seek for this truth within both himself, and other men.  It is often asked what makes life worth living?  In the eyes of Socrates, this 'unexamined life' is one who lives with ignorance, and is not willing to live through experiences, and constantly searches for the truth.  Both self-reflective and self-critical, they walk on a path that seeks for answers to the bigger (and sometimes smaller) questions.  The thirst for knowledge and, through examining his own life, encouraging and reflecting on others' lives, and being critical of those who do not examine their own, Socrates drew to the assumption that an unexamined life is certainly just not worth living.