Overlooked Value of the Unexamined Life: “Is the examined life worth living? According to Socrates, it is not. Socrates does not consider any counterarguments in his famous claim in the Apology. In this paper, defend or criticize the claim that the unexamined life is not worth living via philosophical argument. ” This course seeks to bring forth concepts that have been suggested historically as methodical answers to the ultimate human question: what is the purpose of an individual’s life and how must we go about determining it?
From the birth of philosophical thought, various intellectuals and scholars have weighed in on the issue, offering up their own conclusions. Socrates, most famously portrayed by the works of Plato, put a new spin on the topic when he suggested that the meaning of life is only attainable through self-reflection, thus implying that a very meditative person is essentially of greater value than a person who chooses not to contemplate himself/herself as thoroughly. This paper will strive to refute that claim, for I believe that the vast differences in reality amongst humanity are detrimental to the universality of the statement.
Therefore, if the goal of philosophy is to be a universal standard, Socrates’ conclusion is not up-to-par, and effectively invalid. Explication: In the Apology, despite being found guilty, before his condemnation Socrates is presented with the opportunity at freedom on the condition that he discontinues his philosophical inquiry and teaching. Knowing that he will almost certainly be sentenced to death or the remainder of his life in prison, he still refuses what many would consider an extremely generous offer.
The Term Paper on Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living
... introduces a new value into a person’s life. A person begins to value philosophical reflection and dialogue with others on these ... that Socrates does claim to know? 8. Why will Socrates not cease from teaching philosophy? 9. What has Socrates spent his whole life in ... philosophy, nor is it a point from which all other philosophical truths can be deduced in some mathematical manner. But ...
Socrates consciously chooses death over the opportunity to continue living minus all things philosophical (Plato, 29d).
His reason: the unexamined life is not worth living. In the opinion of Socrates, the meaning of life is the quest for the perfection of one’s soul, and the method which should be employed in this quest is explicitly through trying to understand all that we know for certain as best we can (Plato, 28d).
Those who become experts at that which is familiar and do not try to grasp concepts that cannot be known unquestionably earn a greater value to their lives hen compared to others who choose not to consider themselves in such a manner. If Socrates was presented with the modern saying ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ without question he would oppose it adamantly for he is arguing for the complete opposite mindset. The greater power of the universe – or God – looks favourably upon an individual’s ability to self-reflect and not speculate upon that which is not certain, and because Socrates holds this principle in higher regard than man’s law, he will ultimately be better off siding with philosophy. Main Argument:
I would argue that reality only extends to the boundaries of an individual’s understanding of it, and thus a person cannot be faulted or docked points by God’s ‘perfection of the soul’ criteria if he/she is unaware of such criteria. Essentially, Socrates’ definite perception of selfreflection as how we attain meaning is severely flawed in that he has no way of confirming that either. He preaches of not trying to comprehend that which is unsure and instead focusing on mastering that which we can be certain of, however his understanding of God’s intentions for us are simply that: his understanding.
The Essay on Abortion Child Life Person
I am pro-choice. I am not one person, but many. Here is what I believe: The fetus is not a human, just a mass of tissue. Abortion is safer than childbirth. Every child should be a wanted child. The number of abortions is relatively small. Nobody has the right to impose their morals on me. A woman should be able to control her own body. Abortion must be kept legal, especially for all the rape and ...
He is completely contradictive in this claim, and as a result he is no more virtuous than the men of the state that he attempts to disprove who also claim to be the enforcers of God’s rules. Humans do not even have the cognitive capacity to think reflectively until a certain age, so if a child tragically passes away before developing the ability for self-inquiry it is absurd to deem that life meaningless (Kekes, p. 114), for by Socrates’ standards they never even would have had the chance to prove their worth.
And if the statement ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ is to be taken literally, then these same children do not even deserve to be alive in the years prior to the development of their critical thinking skills. This is where the disconnect appears; every school of religious thought offers each human life the equal opportunity to attain meaning through how we choose to lead our lives, so to think that a child’s life is at such a natural disadvantage in God’s eyes is not justified. There is also such great variability in our world that Socrates’ claim avours certain groups of people over others. Although he may not have been affiliated with a specific school of religious thought that currently exists, by Socrates’ model, religions such as Buddhism – which emphasize meditation – are at an automatic advantage over others in which self-reflection is not focused on as much. Given a person who lives as a devout Christian (for examples sake) and consistently does charitable work and epitomizes Christian values, Socrates still may hold a Buddhist who only meditates and fails to live out other Buddhist principles in higher regard.
When a person chooses to partake in one faith over another, they are announcing their abiding commitment to the principles that religion exemplifies (Kekes, p. 77), and Socrates is in no position to deem one person’s virtues more virtuous than another’s. Faith aside, I still believe it is possible for a person to embody traits that are unanimously regarded as morally righteous without even knowing what self-reflection is or how to practice it (Hixon and Swann, p. 41).
The Essay on An Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living
AN UNEXAMIND LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING "The unexamined life is not worth living." (Apology, p. 41) Socrates held him self up to this standard by allowing the courts to take his life because they would not allow him to continue his quest set forth by the Oracle. An unexamined life would be just coasting through and not making any decisions or asking any questions. Socrates could not see a point in ...
There is a reason most religions share many common principles, and if a person completely oblivious to the existence of theistic thought learned through trial and error to adopt such principles in the absence of any self-inquiry then his life is just as meaningful as a religious man. Response to Objections: Some may argue that trial and error is in fact a form of personal examination; that when we make a mistake, we must then reflect back upon to determine where we went wrong and what should be done in the future to avoid doing it again.
In truth, this determination is actually a natural mammalian instinct that does not require any thought (Kekes, p. 31).
If a baby suffers a burn as a result of touching something hot, they then know not to touch it again. They don’t know why, and as established in the Explication they lack the cognitive skills to investigate. Yet in the absence of an explanation, it remains basic human disposition to be able to decipher right from wrong with the aid of trial and error (Steiner, p. 170).
The same holds true for a man’s quest for virtue without employing self-reflection, even without being aware of what selfreflection is (much like a baby who was never taught to examine him/herself).
By observing how their actions impact those around them, it is just as possible for a person to refine themselves to the point of maximum virtue as an extremely meditative person. Another may object that despite the morality of one’s intentions, an action is worthless if it is not done with God in mind.
However, one of the underlying themes of this paper is that belief in a deity is not a prerequisite to leading a life worth living. Seeing as self-examination is essentially the secular word for prayer, I would argue that a decision is of even greater worth if it is made without the ‘fear of God’ as an influence, for only then can its true selflessness be measured for certain (Kekes, p. 129).
And seeing as certainty is what Socrates seeks out above all, this claim once again contradicts his initial one. Conclusion:
Although Socrates was very noble in giving up his life for a cause he obviously was extremely passionate for, he was wrong in making the generalization that the ‘unexamined life is not worth living. ’ It is simply too vague of a statement, giving preference to certain groups of people over others; many of its implications directly undermining his own quest for certain truths. In making such an assertion he unwarrantedly attempted to interpret God’s intentions for humanity, and in doing so placed himself in the same category as those with whom he was debating.
The Essay on Wrong Person Ged Learns Shadow
Ged goes though many struggles in the book 'A Wizard of Earthsea.' ; The book follows him though the many stages in his life, he learns many lessons and goes though numerous trials and tribulations. All these things help him through his own personal battle of life, his inner journey. Ged's inner journey is shaped by the many people, places, and things he encounters during his outer journey. Geds ...
