Socrates’ Characteristics of a Philosopher
- He truly understands the nature of reality
- He has the fundamental virtues, that is justice, courage, discipline, and wisdom
- He loves truth and would, therefore, not tell a lie
- He does not covet worldly things
I find it strange that a man can live his entire life without coveting a single thing. I believe it is impossible to have a human being who has all these characteristics. It is, therefore, evident that I have never encountered such a person.
Socrates’ Problems Surrounding Philosophy
Socrates agrees that there are philosophers who are mean and weird. However, he claims that a philosopher is only as good as the society that he lives in. He says that the nature of society determines the character of the philosopher. A community full of bad people cannot expect to produce a virtuous philosopher. In the same way, a good society will help develop a wise and righteous philosopher.
Study Areas for Philosophers
Socrates says that the environment in which a philosopher finds himself may be the biggest hindrance to getting a proper education. He says the significant areas of study for a philosopher should be his knowledge of goodness. He argues that this knowledge would help the philosopher develop himself in many critical regions because he will be able to appreciate the goodness of features, for example, Justice, and Beauty. He says that this is the foundation for all other required virtues, such as reliability, discipline, and temperateness.
Knowing/Truth and the Idea of Good
The many goods seen refers to activities that bring out tangible positive results. The many goods intellect refers to perceived deeds. Once you know the truth about a person, you can tell whether his actions are genuine or whether he is doing that so that he can get something in return. The analogy of the dividend line is an essential tool that indicates that a person can only gain a proper understanding of a subject by considering all possible angles that relate to it.