Philosophy: Socrates, Essay Example

Introduction

Socrates 469-399 BC was a renowned Greek philosopher for his contribution in philosophy in the field of ethics. He also contributed largely in the fields of logic and epistemology which provided foundation that was followed by most western philosophy. He lived at a time of transition in Athenian public and his pursuit of Justice and goodness lead to his execution.

Socrates Look’s Toward the City in Order to Discover the Nature of Justice

Socrates looks towards the city in order to discover nature of justice with an aim of enlightening the citizen of the city on how they should be governed. Socrates was intelligent and understood the best mode of governance is that which the citizen of the city had participated in electing its leaders based on their intellect. To lead others he argued one need to be intelligent for him to be visionary in leadership.

He looked towards the city also because he understood most of the citizens were very ignorant and didn’t realize their rights and importance of having intellect leadership in place. Therefore, his intention of having interest in the justice of the city is the aim of educating its citizens to be able to understand importance of having visionary leadership which would make the city realizes meaningful development. He was also concerned on the welfare of the city citizen at a time when the government was being formed. Because if it formed without justice the society is bound to decline into tyranny or anarchy, he had also failed to live in a society with high standards of truth and justice he felt that he would indentify nature of injustices in the city and help its citizen to experience justice. However, his quest to seek justice eventually made him to be executed.

He also looked at the level of courage which the city residence had to be able to attain the change they need. Socrates states that knowledge would only be attained when people are courageous to attain new skills and knowledge to challenge what is being done with an aim of improving it. This is what Socrates termed as making things be full of goodness, such goodness Socrates insisted that it would eventually enable the citizen of the city achieve happiness in their lives by living right.

Socrates Justice in the City

Socrates was a critic of democracy which the republic of Athenian was using to form a government. Justice in the city according to Socrates consists of selecting a ruler who was wise. Socrates had the idea that reality is not available to those who uses their senses to be able to differentiate them with common man. He further elaborated his idea by emphasizing that those who see with their eyes are blind by arguing that the world which is invisible is intelligible.

Therefore justice in the city would only be achieved if the rulers are intelligent and if the citizen of the city would be allowed to select intelligent leaders to form the government. Socrates says that by failure of the citizens of the republic/city to elect intelligent leaders he termed them as being living in a den of ignorance and evil. He further admits that very few would be able to fight for the justice as very few would be able to get out of the den of ignorance and those who dare to live it they really struggle to sustain it. Because when they try to help other people get out of the den they are ridiculed and get themselves being objects of Scorn to the republic.