Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greekphilosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Plato's dialogues are among the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity, though it is unclear the degree to which Socrates himself is "hidden behind his 'best disciple', Plato"...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
knowledge ultimate
Knowledge is our ultimate good.
pain soul body
Every pleasure or pain has a sort of rivet with which it fastens the soul to the body and pins it down and makes it corporeal, accepting as true whatever the body certifies.
past thinking track
Nothing very new. By taking good care of yourselves you are of service to me and my family as well as yourselves, no matter what you do, even if you don't think so at present. But if you neglect yourselves and are unwilling to live, as though following tracks, in accordance with what we now say and have said in the past too, then no matter how much or how seriously you agree with me at present you will accomplish next to nothing.
men fellow-man fellows
One cannot come closer to the gods than by bringing health to his Fellow Man.
wonder
Wisdom belongs in wonder.
lines next crooked
You never know a line is crooked unless you have a straight one to put next to it.
heart mind spirit
Anybody can be a hellene, by his heart, his mind, his spirit...
men might idle
I call that man idle who might be better employed.
ridiculous uncertain certainty
To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable, but to be certain is to be ridiculous.
jewels names advice
Regard your good name as the richest jewel yoou can possibly be possessed of.
knows wisest
Wisest is he who knows he knows not.
light darkness obscurity
Obscurity is dispelled by augmenting the light of discernment, not by attacking the darkness.
moving mean abiding
Those then who know not wisdom and virtue, and are always busy with gluttony and sensuality, go down and up again as far as the mean; and in this region they move at random throughout life, but they never pass into the true upper world; thither they neither look, nor do they ever find their way, neither are they truly filled with true being, nor do they ever taste of pure and abiding pleasure.
class cities purpose
Our purpose in founding the city was not to make any one class in it surpassingly happy, but to make the city as a whole as happyas possible.