Reflection On Good Life

Everyone in life has their own journey. Life is not based upon one ultimate goal. A good life overall depends on how you live it and what perspective it is in. For a man that does not have a home, his good life could be living in a shelter and being surrounded with people just like him. The woman who just got a promotion and is now celebrating with her fiance. From the little things in life to the “never would have thought this would be happening,” the good life all depends on the person.

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who stood for knowledge and virtue. He believed that in order for people to live their best lives, it is necessary for them to do what is right. “It is wicked and shameful to do wrong, to disobey ones superior, be he god or man (Cooper, 29b).” Socrates represents self-knowledge which is evident through his quest for finding someone who was wiser than he was. After his run ins with the likes of the local politicians, craftsmen and poets, Socrates comes to the realization that although these individuals had mastered their craft and were knowledgeable in their field of work, they were clueless in many other important aspects of life. Through this awareness, he accepts the fact that

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” states socrates. Socrates means that people who do not examine their lives, who don’t think about what they want to do with their lives, don’t live a happy life. Jimmy Santiago Baca and Frederick Douglas relate to socrates because they also lived their lives like him. Socrates educated people on the need to examine life and decide how to live it.

The additional position in which Socrates resides, is that of the good man. As he elaborates himself, a good man is one who acts justly and keeps the good interest of others, as well as himself, always in mind (Plato). So a good man acts according to this mindset, acting justly in his treatment towards others, but also in his treatment of himself. Though he may not see the just treatment of himself as the end towards which his action is intended, such potentially altruistic consideration of the

The concept of living “the good life” means something different for everyone. There is a general understanding that living “the good life” is associated with unyielding happiness and lasting satisfaction. The exact meaning of this desired life was pondered by thinkers and philosophers for hundreds of years. They constructed principals of behavior, thought, and obligation that would categorize a person as “good”. Although some of these ancient philosophies about “the good life” had overlapping ideas, their concepts varied widely. This contrast of ideas can be examined through two major characters in two famous works: Aeneas in “The Aeneid” and Socrates in “The Apology”. Aeneas exemplifies the philosophy that the direct route to “the good life" is through faith, trust in the Gods, and family, while Socrates in “The Apology” emphasizes free will, and vast knowledge of life.

In Apology, Plato 's representation of Socrates states "as I thought and believed, to live the life of a philosopher, to examine myself and others". This statement is a response to the scornful remarks of the accusers asking him if he is not ashamed of where his "human wisdom" has gotten him. Socrates states that a "man who is any good" should only consider "whether he is acting like a good or a bad man". It is evident that Socrates views good character as an important trait of a wise person. He goes on to say that all men should take care

Socrates believed that virtue and excellence of the soul is the consequence of knowing and wisdom (p.62). Socrates believed that in soul searching you will ask yourselves important questions regarding all things good and therefore you and are conscious of right and wrong and become a good person. I have to disagree with Socrates statement because even in our present day lives we hear about pastors, government officials, or officers who's job it is to serve and protect the people who go about stealing, cheating, and being dishonest with the very same people they swore to serve. I believe that people can still know what is right and do

Some people would argue that it is necessary to pursue good life at the expense of your own life because of the expected lack of peace of mind, which would be equal to death in the event that they would give false accounts of events, in the hope of escaping punishment as expected by law. It is natural for modest people to offer their apologies for the wrongs committed. However, when most of us set out to seek forgiveness, we do so in the hope that the repercussions of our actions will be lessened. In Socrates’ case, it was expected that after seeking forgiveness, the jury would lessen his sentence, and perhaps send him to prison without the need to execute

Even in the face of death Socrates portrayed these values. Socrates treated his own trial with contempt despite the punishment of being put to death. Furthermore, he declined the proposition to stop his ways of examination with the reward of his life. Firstly, he did not accept the plea because he was willing to consider the fact that death may indeed be better than life, again admitting his own ignorance (Apology,516). However, his reason for not accepting the plea was that he believed “a life without enquiry is not worth living” (Apology, 526). Socrates understood that in order to live the good life for himself it could not be done without examination and rational thought.

So overall, to me the good life encompasses all of these previously mentioned things as well as spending countless hours surrounded by family and friends talking and laughing. I think the good life means working hard for what you’re passionate about and not just trying to please others. I think it also includes learning to be independent and finding the comfort in loneliness, unknown, and unrest and truly learning how to find peace in Christ during those times. As I continue through life, I hope to seek hard after Christ and be confident that he will never fail to lead me to what is best for me and what will bring the most glory to His

For Socrates, the truth and dying for doing the right think is the good life, and a life worth living and philosophy is an art of persuasion with which men are challenged to look to themselves and seek wisdom and not look to their interests. Philosophy is not a tool to crush and humiliate others with, but to improve ourselves. When that is achieved, the obligation from the Allegory of the Cave is the next step: to improve others.

In Socrates’ view, to live well means to live honorably and justly. Crito doesn’t want to let his friend down and tries to persuade him to escape prison and his upcoming execution. He tells Socrates how important he is to him and also what others will think of him if he doesn’t do anything. Socrates says, “My dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think?” (Plato pg.81). Crito explains how Socrates will be letting down all of his family and friends if he doesn’t escape. Socrates thought he would be harming the condition of his soul by escaping. First he thought his soul would be harmed because he assumed

Socrates’ views of death as represented in “The Trial and Death of Socrates” are irrevocably tied to his beliefs of what makes life significant. For Socrates, life must be examined through constant questioning and one must hold the goodness of life above all else. Consequently, even in the face of the un-good, or unjust in Socrates’ case as represented in his trial, it would not be correct to do wrong, return wrong or do harm in return for harm done. Therefore, no act should be performed with an account for the risk of life or death; it should be performed solely on the basis of whether it is good and right.

Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it.

"An unexamined life is not worth living."  (Plato, trans. 1871, pa.68)   As Socrates stands against the court, on his final moments, he stands against his firm beliefs, and his insubordinate teachings.  He feels that it is his mission, by God, and his purpose, to seek for this truth within both himself, and other men.  It is often asked what makes life worth living?  In the eyes of Socrates, this 'unexamined life' is one who lives with ignorance, and is not willing to live through experiences, and constantly searches for the truth.  Both self-reflective and self-critical, they walk on a path that seeks for answers to the bigger (and sometimes smaller) questions.  The thirst for knowledge and, through examining his own life, encouraging and reflecting on others' lives, and being critical of those who do not examine their own, Socrates drew to the assumption that an unexamined life is certainly just not worth living.