The Examined Life According to Socrates Essay

The examined life according to Socrates is a life which is much involved in a conversation with oneself and with other people. The conversations with oneself are carried out through self-reflection in silence to ponder events that have happened. Conversations with others are carried out in forums where people gather. Such conversations according to Socrates were supposed to be about all things. He said that people should have conversations about many diverse things every day to gain an understanding of themselves. He explained that even in a conversation which an agreement cannot be reached, people should examine every possibility on the agenda about which they could find no common ground. They were also to discuss every contention to its fullest, to explore the good and bad of all opinions. This would ensure that people learn from all sides of the conversations and then later use that knowledge to create a proper conclusion for themselves, and thus they will have discovered themselves further through this. In Apology Socrates explained that in his conversations he sought to enlighten others to better their souls. He explained that it was his God given duty to correct his fellow people and he would therefore not stop. He said, "I shall not once let him go or leave him. I shall question him and examine him and put him to the test; and if it appears that in spite of his profession he has not made any real progression towards goodness, I shall reprove him for neglecting what is important and paying attention to trivialities." (Apology 29-30d)

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From his conversation with Meno, he taught that it is indeed the back and forth of a conversation or an argument that makes for the examined life. That is what informed the soul on what to reflect upon and rein in one's own life. From conversing with others, it gave an individual a perspective of life from different eyes. The eyes of those one conversed with. By gaining the different way of understanding, one would revise their thoughts and change the way they live in a better manner. Presumably, this is why an examined life is very paramount because it involved an individual constantly seeking to be better by incorporating the thoughts of others into their own.

He went on to elaborate that a life which was not examined was not a life worth living. This statement was made as a challenge to all that it would no longer suffice for individuals to understand life and examine it merely, but people should now delve into understanding and examine the universe dwelling within his soul. The soul was the main focus of all conversations by Socrates. All conversations were aimed at making the soul better. Notably, this is clear from the apology where Socrates said that an individual should make their soul their first and most important concern as opposed to being very concerned about their bodies or possessions (Apology 29d-30b). His listeners were therefore taught that by living an examined life they enhanced the part of themselves that has the eternal value; the soul. From his other conversations, Socrates talked of teachings he had received about how the soul was eternal. One such instance is in the apology where he talks about another place to go after death. He out-rightly showed the higher importance of the soul by comparing it to the body and material possessions that became obsolete after this life.

The examined way of life is exemplified in the Apology by Socrates. In this piece of literature, Socrates is seen having his philosophical demeanor at a very difficult time in which he is facing a jury. He had been brought to trial by the state of Athens on charges of "heresy" and "corrupting the youth" .At the time when Socrates was making a defense for himself, he did not try to sway the jury by explaining to them why he should have been acquitted. Instead, he engaged in conversation with the members of the jury, seeking to create a common understanding on what true justice is. In his opinion, it was better for the jury to acquit him as a practice of justice which was truly understood, other than for any other reasons (Apology 35c). As such, this shows how Socrates held conversation and truth in high esteem, regardless of the prevailing circumstances. He continued to have conversation aimed at testing and educating himself and those around him just as he had explained it should be. He continued to enrich his soul with further learning at all times, including when he faced a jury. In the apology, Socrates said that the greatest good for a man is to hold a conversation on virtue each day. The same would continue the process of self-examination and growth of the soul, which is the most important thing. He discussed the virtue of justice with his jurors that day. This event was a true embodiment of his philosophy and how it should be lived in a way that betters oneself and others around them.

Socrates continued to explain that the examined life is the only one worth living. He elaborated that the life that is unexamined is much like rhetoric which only has a passing value. Here Socrates brought up the idea of truth and rhetoric during his trial in Apology. He explained that rhetoric is a pleasant and convincing manner of speech which has a close likeness to the truth, but is also quite patently false. The one who speaks it needs not believe what he said was true. Socrates said this in his defense, in light of what his accusers argued against him which was full of misrepresentation in his view. For this reason, rhetoric is irrational. Truth, on the other hand, is the highest and noblest of intellectual matters such as philosophy. Truth is rational. Rhetoric in this context may be seen as a reflection of the truth, while the truth is pure. Thus, by comparison, an individual who lives an examined life lives a life of true value, while one who lives an unexamined life lives a life that is a passing fantasy. (Apology 17-19)

While speaking about Gorgias and other sophists, Socrates also clarified how an unexamined life is one which individual lives concerned only with pleasure. Such a person completely ignores the virtue of what might be good or bad in the search for pleasure (Apology 20-22). He also elaborated that an individual who lives an examined life is concerned with what is good above all else. According to Socrates, the good should be the basis of all activities. In living an examined life one can recognize good and evil, and an individual can create art that enables them to always gravitate towards what is good and shun what is evil. Presumably, this can only be gained through the conversations with one's soul and with others which constitute the examined life. The quest for good that is defined by the examined life and the contemplation of only good that eventually results from this is the biggest difference between a person who lives an examined life and one who does not. The individual who does not live an examined life will always be preoccupied with the false covering of the truth, and they will never be interested in delving deeper to discover what is. He says "Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing both to the individual and the state" (Apology 29d-30b)

Also comparing his teaching to the teachings of sophists, Socrates described what a man must do to live a full and examined life in a happy and content way. He said that an individual who wished to be happy should have self-control and avoid extravagance and wastefulness in the use of resources. He also said that a person should always strive for justice in whatever they do. This involved submission to proper justice and correction if an individual committed any offence. In the Republic Socrates is seen debating with Thrasymachus a sophist, and he says "The just soul and the just man will have a good life and the unjust man a bad one" (Republic 354). He concluded by saying that people cannot be happy until they inculcate in themselves the virtue of sharing. He elaborated that an individual who is not capable of sharing is unable to be on any good terms with anyone. Such an individual will also be unable to be in good terms with God. As he put it, where people don't practice sharing, there can be no friendship.

All this is true if one is to live an examined life in his definition. Sharing is the biggest tool that brings people together in friendship. This context of friendship is the only one in which conversations can be struck, and from here one can truly be able to understand everything around them in a light of truth. Similarly all other principles of happy living outlined here promote the examined life. By practicing self-control, an individual can flee from the blind yearning for pleasures as elaborated above. One can truly seek for good when they are self-controlled, and they, therefore, live an insightful life just as he put it in the Gorgias. An individual who always seeks justice is one who will always be in good terms with those around them. As such, this promotes an atmosphere in which conversations can be held between people, and an avenue for self-reflection is availed.

Socrates himself showed that the examined life could be lived by making himself the example. His goal in life was to find out what is good for the improvement of his soul; then he would act according to his findings. He always lived by his philosophy in the good times and the bad. In the apology, he is faced with a hard time of trial. He is seen engaging the jury in inquiries of philosophy as he lives out his philosophy. Notably, this is well exemplified in his last speech where he has been condemned to die, yet he continues to have a philosophical conversation with the jury and with himself. He had a determination to be sincere and in so doing provides a good example as to how people should live their lives. He said that even if he were acquitted on that day he would not cease living by his teaching. He said "So long as I draw breath and have my faculties I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and indicating the truth for everyone that I meet" (Apology 20-30)

In apology 40c, he makes a statement of how he believed there was hope and encouragement I the death that he now faced. Part of the beauty of it according to him was the fact that nobody knew what it truly held. It might be that the dead are just gone and have become nothing, or it might be that the news they heard of another place where individuals go when they die could be the truth. To his very end, Socrates continued to live in truth to his philosophy, always questioning and examining while searching for new doors of possibility as to what the truth might be.

At this time Socrates could have used many different mechanisms to try and convince the jury to acquit him. He refused to use an emotional appeal such as parading his children to stir pity in the jury. He explained why he would not take this road by saying he did not think it was honorable for his to use such methods at his age and with his reputation (Apology 34e). He further explained that it would be a disgrace and that people who stage pathetic scenes such as those bring much disgrace to the city. He elaborated that the only just way to make an appeal was by informing the jury of facts and convincing them with argument (Apology 35c)

Thus by living out his philosophy, Socrates demonstrated that it was not just a philosophical ideology, but it was practical. It showed that it is something that could be incorporated into people's lives successfully. He also gave many excellent ways in which one may be able to live an examined life. All the guidelines that he gave were philosophically sensible, and he proved that the made the lives of those who practised them much better.

One who asks the question whether the examined life is truly t...