Socrates' Philosophy

This semester, I am not taking a philosophy class in the sense that you might expect.  While I am taking a symbolic logic course, I am not reading any Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, or Kant.  For this reason, I decided it was good idea to write a post about what Socrates added to the study of philosophy.  We often regard the ancient Greek Socrates as the exemplar of what it means to be a philosopher.

Although Socrates never wrote any texts, his student Plato is widely accepted as his mouthpiece.  As you might know, Socrates was sentenced to death on the charge of “corrupting the youth”, a decision which he accepted.  According to Plato’s writings, Socrates had the opportunity to escape, but after debating the issue, he decided it was his duty not to undermine the authority of the Greek state, a decision which has generated much debate among philosophers ever since.  His death is rather famous in part because he consumed a poisonous substance called hemlock, which led to his demise.  

Although the historical facts of the real Socrates are hazy and uncertain, the impact he left on Western thought is undeniably real.  He introduced a way of philosophical inquiry that eventually came to be known as the Socratic Method.  By asking a wide range of questions, Socrates was able to make other people realize how little they actually knew about topics in which they claimed expertise.  

Most of the time, Socrates employed this method on an authority figure.  The process went something like this:

1. The authority figure makes a statement


2. Socrates puts the authority figure through a string of questions to fully understand what was actually said.


3. Socrates proceeds to present a string of reasoning, all of which are based on the figure’s previous statements or previous premises. 


4. Socrates presents a counterexample or an inconsistency in the figure’s reasoning.


5. Socrates then claims he has shown that the figure’s statement is false.

What I admire most about Socrates is his humility.  He never claimed to know anything he could not prove.  While his method is useful in a philosophy classroom, it also is employed outside school in a court of law and simply to elevate growth in human understanding.  However, I will say that when overdone, the Socratic method can be frustrating and irritating, which is why it has a time and a place.  Questioning everything can be time-consuming and annoying, especially when you are simply trying to relax and have a good time.  Also, it is very important to note that the end goal of the Socratic Method should be to acquire knowledge and grow in understanding together.  Unfortunately, some people have employed the Socratic Method to trap, confuse, and bewilder others while elevating their own ego.  This misuse of the admirable Socratic method is dishonorable, cheap, and rather contemptible.