Socrates

 This blog written as a task assigned by Dilip Barad Sir.

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                  Socrates :

Socrates, the ancient philosopher who would change the world, now sits in a jail cell in a cave just outside of Athens. In a few moments, a guard will bring him a cup of poison hemlock to drink. After doing so, he will become sleepy, and soon after, he will take his last breaths. But before that happens, Socrates reflects on his life and legacy.

Born in Athens, Socrates kept much of his history and early life a mystery. Known as one of the first philosophers of the Western world, he never saw himself in that light. While philosophers often believed they understood much about the world, Socrates was different; he was convinced he knew nothing at all.

After returning to Athens following his participation in the Peloponnesian War, Socrates engaged in deep contemplation. At the time, many men were regarded as wise, but he was skeptical of their wisdom. His life experiences led him to believe that those who appeared or claimed to be wise were often not truly wise. This was a significant problem because when people believed a man was wise, they tended to follow him blindly, often with disastrous results. Without questioning this so-called wisdom, knowledge would remain stagnant, like a stone, rather than grow and evolve like a tree.

Socrates began asking questions. He discovered that when someone claimed something to be true, the best way to test that truth was by posing a series of challenging questions. For example, if a man asserted that it was virtuous to love the god Zeus, Socrates would ask, "What is virtue? What is love? Are there other gods to love?" If the man could not even define virtue, how could he claim it was virtuous to love Zeus? If he could not explain what love was, how could anyone be sure they were truly loving Zeus and therefore being virtuous? Socrates believed that if those making such claims could not answer these challenges, then they could not truly know the truth of their claim.

Throughout his life, Socrates did not publish any works or write much down for others to read. However, many young men in Athens, including a bright student named Plato, followed him closely as he questioned some of the city's "wisest" men. Plato would later pass down this method to his student Aristotle, who became the tutor of Alexander the Great. Alexander, in turn, spread Greek thought throughout his vast kingdom. When the Romans took over Alexander’s empire, they expanded it even further, spreading the Greek tradition across an even larger territory. Unfortunately, when the Roman Empire fell, the world entered a long, dark period where knowledge once again became stagnant. But eventually, something remarkable occurred.

There was a renaissance of thought and knowledge as people began to revive the works of Socrates' students. Science flourished when people realized the power of methodical questioning and testing of claims. In modern times, Socrates' method of questioning is known as the Socratic method and is the foundation of contemporary scientific and philosophical inquiry. This profound impact on human thought and progress stemmed from Socrates simply asking a few questions. 

Many people believe that those who ask questions, especially as persistently as Socrates did, are unwise. But Socrates thought the opposite. He believed that true wisdom was the awareness of how little one actually knows. This realization was what allowed people to start asking questions and ultimately uncover the truth.

However, asking questions, while effective in seeking truth, also proved to be a fast way to make enemies. Socrates embarrassed quite a few influential men in Athens, who saw him as a professional smart-aleck. When they noticed that young men in the city were beginning to question as Socrates did, he was arrested for corrupting the youth of Athens. His student Plato later documented the trial.