Socrates the great father of philosophy - Free Essay Example

Once Socrates, the great father of philosophy, said To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge. In other words what Socrates is trying to tell us is that humans dont know anything and it is ok. We werent made to know everything because life does not work like this. Socrates thought virtue is most important, that people should live for the truth only, and way to virtue is knowledge. He was a great teacher, humanist, and a good citizen but he also was arrogant and self centered character. He thought people how to think outside the box and live their lives how they want to live, not how they were told to live. People dont started to question their actions because of him. And when they did not like the result they hated Socrates for it. He was a great humanist person with great thoughts. He introduced to people to philosophy and world that they could not think existed and for that what did people do? Killed him. He gave a lot of good lectures and unlike sophist he never charged money for the wisdom he was spreading. He was also arrogant because to find out if he was the greatest philosopher he questioned other philosophers and politics and insulted them right to their face sayi ng that they are not smart. He said they are not smart because other philosophers and politics said they are smart and they know everything. He basically cornered them with his questions and verbally trapped them. He made people feel stupid and that made people to hate him more. In the triel he said an Oracle of Delphi, prophetesses woman said that he was wise. And she knows all that because God Apollo told her that. He also had a daemon a guiding spirit which accompanied him everywhere and the spirit only said what not to do, not what to do. People hated Socrates because he was indeed wiser, smarter and better than them. The claim attributed to him by Plato that an unexamined life is not worth living (Apology, 38b) seems historically accurate, in that it is clear he inspired his followers to think for themselves instead of following the dictates of society and the accepted superstitions concerning the gods and how one should behave. Socrates cared nothing for class distinctions or proper behavior and who spoke as easily with women, servants, and slaves as with those of the higher classes. In ancient Athens, individual behavior was maintained by a concept known as Eusebia which is often translated into English as piety but more closely resembles duty or loyalty to a course. In refusing to conform to the social properties proscribed by Eusebia, Socrates angered many of the more important men of the city who could, rightly, accuse him of breaking the law by violating these customs. He did not bring his wife and children to the trial because he thought that was a way of asking for mercy and petty. So overall Socrates is great teacher, humanist, and good citizen but also he is an arrogant and self centered character.