Have you ever heard about Socratic wisdom? If your answer is yes, then how well do you understand Socratics wisdom? If one of these questions or both baffles you, this article might provide you with the answers you are looking for. We have gathered details on Socratics wisdom and combined it to bring you this exclusive article. The article entails explanations of Socrates as the wisest of all men. It also covers the meaning of famous quotes by Socrates and much more. Hence if you wish to know more about Socratics wisdom, then this is an article you would not want to miss out on.
Socratics Wisdom
When you hear the term Socratics wisdom, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Of course, there is the mention of a person, Socrates, and knowledge as wisdom. But here is the true definition. Socratics wisdom simply refers to how Socrates understood the high limits of his great knowledge in which he makes no assumptions on knowing anything less or more; he simply knows all that he knows.
Although Socrates never wrote it down as a treatise or theory. Our understanding on his many philosophies of which relate directly to wisdom, all derive from the Plato’s writings based on the same subject. In many works such as “Apology,” Plato tries to describe the trials and life of Socrates, which influences our understanding plus knowledge of the true elements of the Socratic wisdom. Simply put, “The awareness of your ignorance defines how wise you are.”
What is the meaning of the famous quotes by Socrates?
Famous quotes such as “I do know that I do not know anything” are attributed to the profound man known as Socrates. However, some of these quotes, such as the one states above, are interpretations made by Plato on Socrates’s life. Socrates, in most cases, asserts his knowledge in the work of Plato, even reaching a point where he declared that he would lose his life for it.
For example, Socrates once declared that: “I don’t think I actually know that which I don’t know.” What does this quote really mean, and what is its relevance. Well, in this particular quote, Socrates explains that he doesn’t claim to have scholars or artisans’ knowledge on the subjects that he had not undertaken. He hence bears zero pretenses to even understanding those subjects. He also has another quote based on a similar topic that states the following “For I know well I have no knowledge which is worth sharing” the topic in mind was creating a home.
Even though most of these quotes paint a picture of a man who did not know much, when you think about them deeply, you will come to realize that the quotes bring out Socrates’s intelligence. He simply hinges on his rather broad intelligence. Some of his quotes also bring out his courage, for instance. He says, “fearing death is like thinking we actually know that which we don’t”; hence simply put, Socrates never feared death.
Socrates as the wisest man
Socrates was once told that he was the wisest person yet. Well, he was baffled by this, so he decided to try and find a person who was wiser than him.
After a long search, he concluded that it was true; he was the wisest man yet. Of course, there were people who were more intelligent than him in some fields. Due to these reasons, they assumed that they were pretty wise on other issues, which was false. Hence none of them were as wise as Socrates.
Conclusion
Socrates wisdom teaches us a lot about life. We learn to focus on the things that matter and work on our lives for a better version of ourselves.