On The Relevance And Merit Of Socrates' Philosophy

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On the Relevance and Merit of Socrates Philosophy
Very seldom in history is there a figure so great that they transcend many cultures. This is especially true of a time in which there are few records left about the person. Such is the case with the philosopher Socrates. Socrates had a brand new way of philosophizing. It was not a quest in favor of wisdom for Socrates, but to discover the wisdom in others. In this paper I will discuss Socrates’ way of philosophizing from several viewpoints. First, I will address exactly what his brand of philosophy was. Secondly, I will analyze the legitimacy of his philosophy with arguments both for and against his unique style. I intend to prove that Socrates’ new method of philosophy and wisdom seeking is not only legitimate, but worthy of merit.
Socrates’ philosophy was that of no other; he discovered wisdom by incorporating what is called the Socratic Method. This method of inquiry involved Socrates always asking questions of those individuals that were considered wise. He would ask them questions about their own beliefs so that he may get a better understanding of what it is that they taught or preached. Socrates claimed to know nothing at all and he was asking these wise people what the true answers were. His continuous questioning was only to weed out inconsistencies of the particular “wise person’s” thought process. Knowing what he did was a simple matter of observation; why he did those things was another matter.
Socrates tells us why he chose a life of wisdom seeking in the Apology. While defending the nature of his human wisdom at court, Socrates tells of how he came upon this wisdom he claims to not possess. Socrates’ friend from youth, Chairephon, went to visit the Oracle at Delphi. He proceeded to ask the Oracle if any man was wiser than Socrates. The Oracle then replied “that no man was wiser. ” Socrates was very confused at this. He didn’t kno...