Topic > Socrates' contribution to the philosophy of self-knowledge

IndexCrucial role of self-knowledge from Socrates' perspectiveSocrates' methodology for using self-knowledge in his argumentsConclusionIt is often said that we should "know ourselves" in life . However, it is not clear what kind of information this sentence invites us to formulate, nor how to obtain it. We hear a lot of advice which, in theory, is not always very convincing. Could the idea of ​​self-knowledge be too common? All in all, there are a lot of interesting things to know. Why should self-realization be distinguished from any other form of advice? Furthermore, regardless of whether self-knowledge is essential or non-essential, don't each of us think about ourselves enough? I know when I'm tired, or cold, or even mentally under control. So what's the real issue here? To provide an accurate argument and understand Socrates' contribution to philosophy, I will analyze Plato's Apology of Socrates. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Crucial Role of Self-Knowledge from Socrates' Perspective We begin our exploration of self-knowledge in Athens, where Socrates defends himself against accusations made against him by some Athenians. Among the numerous focuses he makes to improve his supplication, he states that his companion Chaerephon spoke with the Oracle of Delphi, who revealed to him that no one is more intelligent than Socrates. Socrates claimed ignorance of the most essential matters of the world, so he is confused by the Oracle's statement. In any case, it suggests that perhaps he is aware of his innocence, while many Athenians certainly are not. I will analyze this accusation and connect it to Socrates' later comment that "the unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates states that "the unexamined life is not worth living", meaning that only in the attempt to know ourselves do our lives have any meaning or value. What happens if we stop questioning ourselves or even the world around us? We would find it difficult to distinguish between good and bad. Socrates even seems to imply that humans are no better than animals without philosophy. Socrates' assertion of his own ignorance indicates a level of knowledge prior to and deeper than that of the sciences and crafts. Socrates does not have any science or craft, but he is able to recognize his own ignorance, and this self-knowledge makes him wiser than anyone else, because people who have science or skill think they know everything, but in reality they do not know . know something. Socrates is at least aware of the limits of his knowledge and realizes that he is really worth nothing compared to wisdom. Self-knowledge is essential because it makes you understand yourself better. Through a better understanding of yourself, you are ready to be responsible for your life. You would then be able to live your life as you see fit, without outside influences coming into play. Through self-knowledge, we are in a better position to understand the external universe just as the internal universe resides within us. We realize that the meanings we give to the facts of life have a greater impact on the nature of our human experience than the facts themselves. As a result, we can change our lives by changing the way we think and see our surroundings. We can end up being more joyful by evolving ourselves, without changing the world. In theory, when we change ourselves, our surroundings change too, as if all meaning in the world has ceased to exist. Realizing itthat we create our lives, we are completely and totally responsible for what we do. It is astonishing that what we take control of strays from the victimization of circumstances. Socrates' methodology for using self-knowledge in his arguments“The so-called 'Socratic method' is a means of philosophical inquiry, in which people are questioned about what they have said and subsequently work out several related questions to see if they contradict themselves. If they do, it shows the person that their original position was inconsistent and, ultimately, that they are wiser than before, because they have been made aware of their ignorance. Socrates calls this method elenchus. Socrates continually identifies his own lack of wisdom, which in a way is almost incriminating. Why does such a wise man deny his own intellectual power and competence? Fear appears to be a key player in many of Socrates' dialogues. Fear reappears at the beginning of the Apology in different topics, but hypothetically all the same. Socrates discusses man's fear of death and its impact on the decisions and structure of one's life. Even with all his conjectures, Socrates exposes his own flaws and weaknesses among the Athenians which to them is an automatic red flag in his declaration of innocence due to their interpretation of his intentions. This philosophical work seems to be built precisely on the idea that context is extremely crucial in all aspects of life. Whether it is self-knowledge, fear, wisdom, or even just the education of another. The idea is pretty clear about how vital context actually is. Without context, we immediately jump into our heads about what we want to say next, based on just a few words from another source or individual. Obviously, Socrates' supposed intentions were taken out of context, which raised all these questions and propaganda. An individual may have a genuine belief, but that belief often does not depend on actual knowledge. To complete this account it would be necessary to say something about what a belief is, what truth is, and what justification is. Socrates clearly states that he will speak as he sees fit, that is, telling the whole logical truth. The topic of right and wrong has been debated for a long time. I trust that truth is a person's impression of their beliefs and choices. The truth differs between people with conflicting thoughts or ideas. Yet, the truth is something that everyone accepts as right. In this sense, it is significantly based on what is right for most people. In fact, the truth told for the wrong purpose is considered even worse than a lie. But by today's standards, people don't like the truth and sometimes don't even accept what's right in front of their eyes. In Socrates' case, what is life without beliefs? Life is supposed to be just a progression of lies, and they are lies told for the purpose of deceiving. The deception could be to influence others, and perhaps even yourself. What is life without valuable beliefs? It's a useless life. If you have faith in education, or love, or craftsmanship, at that point you are building things, developing things, sustaining things, and creating things. You have the opportunity to leave the earth greater than before. So Socrates' overall intention is to deceive? His intentions seem to be so widespread among the Athenians that they believe nothing. Belief is when information is missing. The less certain we are of something, the more reasoning is required to accept it. Socrates doesn't seem to influence the Athenians, so he questions his own wisdom, even though the Oracle said otherwise. Even desperation plays a role.