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Socrates And The Good Brahmin's Approach To Philosophy

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Socrates ' and the Good Brahmin 's Approach to Philosophy Socrates, as described by Plato (n.d., 360 B.C.E.), and the Good Brahmin, as described by Voltaire (1926), are both dedicating their whole life to philosophy, to the point that both seem unable to live without engaging in the pursuit of wisdom. Nonetheless, the way they approach people, and the lessons they derive from their reflections differ deeply. Paradoxically, although if we are used to think of Western thought as more selfish as compared to Eastern wisdom, Socrates seems more altruistic than the Good Brahmin, and also more concerned with society as a whole. Socrates approaches people in an attempt to find out why the oracle of Delphi told him he is the wisest man of all (Plato, n.d.). He doesn 't believe to be wise, but at the same time, he acknowledges that the god of Delphi doesn 't lie (Plato, n.d.), so he embarks in a journey to discover the meaning of wisdom. He probes other men to try and find out whether or not their arguments are sound, and to what point he can actually challenge their logic. He comes to the conclusion that he actually cannot find a wiser man, but this does not change his fundamental idea that he himself has no knowledge. The Good Brahmin comes to a similar conclusion, saying that he is “ignorant of everything” (Voltaire, 1926). However, he sees his role as that of a teacher, who is questioned by his followers and needs to provide them with answers. While Socrates focuses on

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