Philosophies for Life 61: 9 Life Lessons From Socrates (Socratic Skepticism)
Dec 6, 2024
24:15
In this podcast we will be talking about 9 Life Lessons From Socrates. Socrates is sometimes considered as the founder of the Western philosophy and his work reflects the philosophy of Skepticism.
So with that in mind, here are 9 important lessons that we can learn from Socrates -
01. Open yourself to the truth
02. Be courageous
03. Be authentic
04. Be humble
05. Beware the busyness of life
06. Be a citizen of the world
07. Be happy with less
08. Don’t seek vengeance
09. Have a sense of humour
I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these 9 Life Lessons From Socrates will add value to your life.
Socrates lived between 469 and 399 B.C.E. and he is one of the most famous philosophers in the entire history of humankind. He is sometimes considered as the founder of the Western philosophy and his work reflects the philosophy of Skepticism, which has as its main base that knowledge can be obtained through systematic doubt and continual testing. Although Socrates hasn't written anything, he has forever changed philosophy itself. Most of the things we know today about his philosophy came from Plato, Aristophanes and Xenophon whose writings are in the form of dialogues between Socrates and other Athenians. These writings gave birth to a new literary genre called the Socratic dialogue. Unfortunately, he is also famous for his tragic life. In 399 BCE, he was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and of failing to acknowledge the city's official gods. After a trial that lasted just a single day, he was sentenced to death. He spent his last day in prison, refusing to escape. The way his life ended can be considered as the founding myth of philosophy as a discipline. For one to really practice philosophy, they have to go against societal norms, to question everything even at the risk of their own peril. Everything about Socrates was impressive: his appearance, personality, and behaviour, as well as in his views and methods. And this made many of the people around him to write about him, including Plato. It is unfortunate that Socrates did not write at all and all we have is indirect evidence. Also, it is said that each age produces a Socrates of its own, however there are some core fundamental teachings of the original Socrates that transcend the centuries.
So with that in mind, here are 9 important lessons that we can learn from Socrates -
01. Open yourself to the truth
02. Be courageous
03. Be authentic
04. Be humble
05. Beware the busyness of life
06. Be a citizen of the world
07. Be happy with less
08. Don’t seek vengeance
09. Have a sense of humour
I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these 9 Life Lessons From Socrates will add value to your life.
Socrates lived between 469 and 399 B.C.E. and he is one of the most famous philosophers in the entire history of humankind. He is sometimes considered as the founder of the Western philosophy and his work reflects the philosophy of Skepticism, which has as its main base that knowledge can be obtained through systematic doubt and continual testing. Although Socrates hasn't written anything, he has forever changed philosophy itself. Most of the things we know today about his philosophy came from Plato, Aristophanes and Xenophon whose writings are in the form of dialogues between Socrates and other Athenians. These writings gave birth to a new literary genre called the Socratic dialogue. Unfortunately, he is also famous for his tragic life. In 399 BCE, he was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and of failing to acknowledge the city's official gods. After a trial that lasted just a single day, he was sentenced to death. He spent his last day in prison, refusing to escape. The way his life ended can be considered as the founding myth of philosophy as a discipline. For one to really practice philosophy, they have to go against societal norms, to question everything even at the risk of their own peril. Everything about Socrates was impressive: his appearance, personality, and behaviour, as well as in his views and methods. And this made many of the people around him to write about him, including Plato. It is unfortunate that Socrates did not write at all and all we have is indirect evidence. Also, it is said that each age produces a Socrates of its own, however there are some core fundamental teachings of the original Socrates that transcend the centuries.