Short Response Essay (Literature & Language Essay)

Response Essay
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Response Essay
Socrates, like many other philosophers, taught people about ethics and morality. However, his method of teaching was different. He never imposed morality on people nor told them what to do. Instead, he guided them towards their own understanding of how to be virtuous. He never claimed to be wise because he knew he was not knowledgeable about everything. However, he often questioned what was considered moral or wise by others.
Specifically, Socrates used a method of inquiry to teach people how to make better moral decisions. He often persuaded people to think and evaluate what they knew (or thought they knew) about ethics, justice, and life in general. He was of the opinion that “… the unexamined life isn’t worth living for a human being (The Trials of Socrates, p.55).” The statement not only encourages people to be better so that their life can be worthy but also encourages them to scrutinize their lives and the status quo so that they can find out which kind of life is worth living. This includes questioning the rules and the beliefs that have been imposed on people by others. By sharing the statement with others, he was teaching them how to be better, especially in terms of their moral choices. People who examined their lives would be able to identify what is missing and fill the gap with knowledge.
Socrates believed that he was only wise because he never claimed to know what he did not know, unlike others. He all...