Socrates on Wisdom Steven Rabby Excelsior College INTRODUCTION Socrates is often regarded as one of the pinnacle figures, if not the pinnacle figure in establishing western philosophy. Although Socrates claimed no specific theory or set of beliefs, what he did do, is introduce the world to a new way of thinking. This way of thinking, or questioning, is referred to as the dialectical method. The dialectical method involved taking the beliefs of others as one who knew nothing and attempted to expose contradictions, gaps in information and false assumptions within their arguments. In Athens, this caused Socrates to acquire some enemies, who labeled him as a Sophist, eventually sentencing him to death on the charge of corrupting Athens youth. After Socrates death, …show more content…
There is a story which recounts that Chaerephon, a friend of Socrates, asked the oracle of Delphi: “Is anyone wiser than Socrates?” The answer was: “No human is wiser.” (Plat. Apol. 21a) When Socrates had received word of this, he set out to see if he could prove the oracle wrong. Yet the more Socrates set out to discover those wiser than himself, he came across people who only appeared to know a great deal but actually proved their knowledge to be false or lacking. It was through engaging the people of Athens that Socrates discovered the limits of our own ignorance and the importance of removing any preconceived notions or beliefs in the pursuit of truth and knowledge. Socrates dialectical method of questioning worked to bring awareness to the false assumptions the people of Athens had at the time concerning love, virtue, and what is just. Through rigorous questioning, Socrates exposed the ideas and assumptions his opponents believed and with this revealed the contradictions within their arguments, bringing them to a higher level of