Socrates specific understanding of wisdom from the story Plato’s apology
Socrates specific understanding of wisdom from the story Plato’s apology, Analyzing and Explaining Oedipus’ hubris and eventful downfall from the store Oedipus, the King.
There is no written record of Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) of his teachings or philosophy. The writings of Plato (c. 428–347 BCE) are the basis of understanding the qualities of Socrates’s wisdom. Plato was Socrates’ follower. The student of Socrates Xenophon (c. 431–354 BCE) also helps in understanding the wisdom of Socrates (Denyer 5).
Oedipus’ hubris is a tragedy in the Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles who was a Greek writer. He brings out the main character as a person filled with arrogance. Hubris is a state of being proud and having self-confidence. This hubris runs through Sophocles’ writing which leads to the fall of the King who is the main character as he even tried to compete with gods, (Robinson 9).
In Plato’s Apology of Socrates, it recounts the defense by Socrates of himself while standing a trial in 399 BC. One of the quotes by Socrates from the trial is “an unexamined life is not worth living.” This quote from Socrates by Plato means that it is vital for a person to “know thyself” and also, equally important for that person to strive to know what they don’t know. To “know thyself” brings out the “Socratic method of self-examination towards gaining knowledge.
Socrates is also quoted saying, “when I do not know, neither do I think I know; so I am likely to be wiser…to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.” (Plato 44). This is because of Socrates’ self-awareness as he had examined himself and concluded that no one was wiser than him. This also, evidence of Socrates’ “Socratic Method”. In contrast, King Oedipus says, “Nay, it cannot be. That having such a clue I should refuse. To solve the mystery of my parentage!” (Fagles 38). This is an evidence of King’s hubris that after evidence has been tendered against him he doesn’t acknowledge his mistakes. He believes that he can put the pieces together, a testimony of self-confidence.
He does not conduct self-examination of himself to determine what he knows.
“Whenever I succeed in disproving another person’s claim to wisdom in a given subject, the bystanders assume that I know everything about that subject myself.” (Plato 23). Is another quote from The Apology, which shows that Socrates is not arrogant concerning the knowledge he possesses unlike King Oedipus who is quoted saying,
“Creon, the trusty, the familiar friend,
With secret mines covets to oust me from it,
And has suborned a sorcerer like this,
An engine-botching crafty cogging knave,
Who has no eyes to see with, but for gain,
And was born blind in the art! Why, tell me now,
How stand your claims to prescience? How came it,
When the oracular monster was alive,
You aid no word to set this people free
And yet it was not for the first that came
To solve her riddle; sooth was needed then,
Which you could not afford; neither from birds,
Nor any inspiration; till I came,
The unlettered Oedipus, and ended her,
By sleight of wit, untaught in augury —
I whom you now seek to cast out, in hope
To stand upon the steps of Creon’s throne!” (Fagles 140)
This is in response to the prophet Tiresias after he accused the King Oedipus of murdering King Laius. Here again, the King exposes hi hubris by not being remorseful and goes ahead to brag how he had tackled the Sphinx’s riddle.
Socrates in concluding his defense says, “Now it is time that we were going, I to die and you to live; but which of us has the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God” (Plato 42). This is a wise acknowledgement that no one understands God. In the Oedipus Rex, “Your words are just; but to constrain the gods to what they will not, pass all men’s power” (Fagles 136), is one of the quotes which seeks to show Oedipus as one who has the understanding of the gods power. Later, when the will of gods turn against him, he starts to push back. This is an example of hubris where the Oedipus is full of himself.
“When I leave this court, I shall go away condemned by you to death, but they will go away convicted by Truth herself of depravity and wickedness. And they accept their sentence even as I accept mine.” (Plato 39). In this quote by Socrates we can see he is so wise and aware of his ultimate end. King Oedipus says “I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, the giver of all good things—I’ll never see myself disgraced”. (Fagles 1188-1190). He is not aware that his end has come as he had avoided the prophecy about his fate.
In conclusion, as the two characters in the books come to an end they face the term in different ways, Socrates is quoted saying “Now it is time that we were going, I to die and you to live; but which of us has the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God.” (Plato 42). He is wise as he approaches the death with courage and leaving it to God, unlike King Oedipus who gouges his own eyes. He is quoted saying “What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy” (Fagles 1471-1472). Indeed pride led him towards his fall.
Works Cited
Denyer, Nicholas, ed. Plato: The Apology of Socrates and Xenophon: The Apology of Socrates. Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Fagles, Robert. “trans. The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus.” Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Viking Penguin (1982): 13-30.
Robinson, Graham M. “Making sense of hubris.” The intoxication of power. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2016. 1-16.
Plato, By. Apology. BookRix, 2019.