Socrates - The Philosopher Who Knew He Knew Nothing - The Great Greek Philosophers

Socrates is one of the most renowned and well-known figures in history. He was one of the most remarkable thinkers of all time, and his philosophical legacy continues to be researched, studied, and debated all over the world. Despite becoming an extremely well-known figure, Socrates did not found a school, nor did he write anything with his own hand. What we know about his life and philosophy has come down to us through other authors, three of whom are considered the main ones – Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon. The first is certainly the best known, as he was Socrates' pupil and also became a very important philosopher, whose philosophical legacy is also of enormous value. These three authors portrayed Socrates in diverse ways – Plato, who lived between 428 and 348 BC, and Xenophon, who lived between 430 and 355 BC, proved to be great admirers of Socrates. The Greek playwright Aristophanes, on the other hand, had a less favorable view of the Athenian philosopher. Aristophanes deals with Socrates in a comedy from 423 BC, entitled The Clouds, where the Greek thinker is ridiculed and considered a false sage, as well as being seen as a corruptor of youth and disrespectful to the gods in his philosophy. Aristophanes also presents Socrates as a sophist. But we should not forget that this playwright wrote some of the most famous comedies of ancient times, hence the caricatured style he used to portray the philosopher. Although we don't know his exact intentions, Aristophanes' writings are especially important for learning about the life of the great Greek philosopher. Despite Socrates being negatively characterized by Aristophanes, he wrote things that are remarkably similar to those of Xenophon and Plato. For example, he mentions dialectics as a communicative tool used by Socrates. He also mentions the well-known Socratic method, through which the philosopher questioned his counterparts. The play The Clouds contains some interesting and significant biographical characteristics of Socrates, who is described as a simple, poor man, who walked barefoot and lived in a very modest house. In fact, Socrates' humility was one of the main hallmarks of his life, also cited in other sources. In The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates, Xenophon wrote that he has no slaves, his food and drink are not exquisite, his clothing is only a coarse cloak in summer and winter, and he has no shoes or tunic. In addition to these three authors, other particularly important ones have mentioned Socrates, such as Diogenes Laertius or Cicero, as well as Aristotle, another brilliant Greek philosopher. By combining the descriptions of these writers and researchers, it has been possible to construct the trajectory of Socrates' life and philosophy. Socrates was born in Athens in 469 BC. His father was the sculptor Sophroniscus. His mother was the midwife Phanerite. Some paintings, frescoes and sculptures help us to better understand what the philosopher looked like physically, and it seems he was not particularly beautiful. But this detail is insignificant when compared to the mastery of his thought and the greatness of his philosophical legacy. He was attractive enough for Xanthippe, whom he married and had a son called Lamprocles. According to some sources, he had two children with another wife. He was averse to luxury, dressing simply and shabbily, leading a modest life without attaching importance to material possessions. These traits became his trademark. At times, his behavior was odd, attracting the attention of some of his contemporaries. On some occasions, he would stand still and meditate, remaining in this state for a long time. It was as if the philosopher noticed and felt nothing else around him, contemplating only his thoughts. In the dialogue of the symposium, Plato recounted some of these traits of the philosopher. For example, he wrote that Socrates was resilient to low temperatures, and on some occasions, while others were protecting themselves from frost, the philosopher could face them outdoors, wearing only a blanket. What's more, he walked barefoot on the ice and didn't seem to feel cold underfoot. Once in Potidae in 432 BC, he reportedly spent 24 hours paralyzed, looking at the horizon and reflecting on some idea, something that impressed the soldiers camped with the philosopher there. Also in the symposium, Plato tells us that the master drank alcohol like no other man, and yet was never seen drunk. For a period of his life, Socrates tried to follow the same career path as his father, but was unsuccessful as a sculptor. During his youth, he served in the military and took part in the Peloponnesian War, a conflict between the cities of Athens and Sparta that began in 431 and ended in 404 BC. He received a great deal of recognition for his heroism, but as we know today, his destiny was different. Philosophy One of the great landmarks of Socratic philosophy is the exceedingly popular phrase I know that I know nothing. In a Platonic dialogue, Socrates recounted the origin of this famous quote. On one occasion, Cheraphon, a childhood friend of his, consulted the Oracle of Delphi, a place considered sacred to the Greeks, where people consulted their destinies with the Pythonesses, who were prophetesses entering an altered state of consciousness. And through the god Apollo, to whom the place was dedicated, they answered those who sought them out. When Cheraphon went to this place, he asked if there was a wiser man in the world than Socrates. The answer was negative, Socrates was the wisest of them all. When Cheraphon told his friend about this, the philosopher was extremely puzzled, as he was fully aware that he knew nothing. According to Plato, he asked himself, What does the god mean? And what hidden meaning does the answer have? I am not aware of being wise or unwise. What does he mean by declaring me the wisest? Curious and keen to unravel the Oracle's words, he decided to seek out an acquaintance of his who was a politician, and whom he considered to be wise. After talking to him, the Athenian philosopher realized that the politician was not so wise, because he did not recognize the limits of his own ignorance. Socrates concluded, I am wiser than this man, it is probable that neither of us knows anything important, but he believes he knows something and he does not. I, if I do not know it, do not suppose I know either. Socrates later consulted other politicians, as well as talking to poets and craftsmen who were considered wise. But contact with these people led him to the same conclusion he had reached with the first man he had talked to, that they knew nothing, although they thought the opposite. Socrates became well known in Athens, and one of the main reasons for this was the Socratic method, which consisted of an inquiry process, through which the philosopher approached certain individuals, rich or poor, young or old, in places such as gymnasiums, public squares and banquets, questioning them on subjects that were often apparently simple and straightforward for the interlocutors, but which soon became uncertain. When the people he approached answered a question, Socrates deconstructed these answers with new questions, pointing out mistakes and inconsistencies. Often, the interlocutors would learn that they did not know what they initially believed they understood. Amid so many unanswered questions, this self-reflection allowed people to learn more about the issues and take a new perspective on the subject discussed with Socrates. The philosopher wisely used dialectics, which is the art of discourse, as a linguistic tool in the search for truth. Often, this helped people to realize that some concepts accepted a priori as true, after being examined critically and deeply, were false, and these would finally recognize their ignorance. Socrates compared this method to the profession of midwife, which, as we said at the beginning of the video, was that of his mother. He understood that this philosophical approach helped to foster innovative ideas, since these already existed within people and he only helped to give birth to them, as if he were a kind of obstetrician. This labor performed by the thinker, initially questioning his fellow citizens and showing contradictions and misunderstandings in their reasoning, then making them change their perspectives on what they thought they knew, was called meiudic. It's important to stress that, as Xenophon says, Socrates never received any payment for his teaching, unlike the sophists. Another interesting point in his philosophy is the question of virtue, the most valuable of all goods. Socrates believed that the man who possessed knowledge was both virtuous and incapable of evil, since evil was brought about by the ignorant who did not know what was good. For this reason, there was a relationship between morality and knowledge. In other words, if we know what good is, there is no reason to do evil. At 60, Socrates was accused and condemned in Athens. In Apology, Plato recounted the master's allegations before the three accusers, Annitus, Miletus, and Lycaon, as well as other people present during the conviction. According to Plato, Socrates was accused of corrupting youth and not believing in the gods that the people believe in, but in new deities. Xenophon, who also described the process of Socrates' sentencing and death, emphasizes how the Athenian philosopher felt wronged. Xenophon and Plato mention Socrates' admirable peace before death. During the trial, Socrates told those present that he had a divine mission, which began in childhood when he used to hear a voice inside him. This voice would be that of his demon. Historically, the word demon has been given multiple meanings. In Socrates' case, it was a kind of genius or personal guide who spoke to the philosopher and gave him suggestions on what to do. Socrates was eventually sentenced to death and forced to ingest hemlock, a strong poison. In Phido, Plato underlines the master's admirable and inspiring composure and courage when faced with death. The man appeared to me to be happy in his manner and speech. He faced death with fearlessness and nobility. And, at the end of this work, he described Socrates as the best, wisest, and most just of men. Socrates was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Most writers who quote him consider him extremely wise. His philosophical legacy is hugely significant and has influenced other subsequent thinkers. Socrates, among other things, teaches us to better analyze our thoughts and to have a more critical perspective on the surrounding reality. Through the study, we realized how important it is to always maintain a critical stance towards the world and how important humility is in our quest for knowledge.