Socrates' Unexamined Life
Why does Socrates think that the unexamined life is not worth living?
Does he have a good defense of his philosophical life?
As the wisest man in all of ancient Greece, Socrates believed that the purpose of life was both personal and spiritual growth. He establishes this conviction in what is arguably his most renowned statement: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Socrates makes it quite evident through the severity of the language in this claim, the extent to which he will live and die for this ideal. He did not merely say that the unexamined life was not a noble existence or that it was the path of the less righteous, rather the unexamined life is just not worth living at all. Theoretically, according to his declaration, someone might as well not be alive unless they lived an examined life.
Socrates' basis for this claim lies is his principle that we, as humans, should lead "responsible" lives. In order to be responsible, we must examine the beliefs that......
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Approximate Word Count: 1676
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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