Many times I’ve pondered what correctly defines the meaning of a good life. Is there a good life without an examined life? Is there even such a thing? If so, can you have one without the other? Is it something left to just our own imagination? What would it take for this so-called “good life” to be achieved? Without accurate examinations of thoughts from within yourself, the good life could certainly be jeopardized, but worst may never come into existence.
The words by Socrates “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato, Apology 37e-38a) has a very deep and unique meaning. Although, what exactly do we define “the examined life” to be? To me, the examined life refers to how we should contemplate and question how we live out our daily …show more content…
Choices are made everyday that affects us in multiple ways. Sometimes those are not good choices and without the ability to reason, we as individuals may have a hard time gauging out the values of those choices. We use reasons to learn from mistakes when bad judgments happen. We reason so that we can think from a logical stand point. We use reason to differ from bad and good. We must reason in order understand knowledge that gained through an examined life. We can mindlessly perform tasks without having reasons at all but then we’d never reach full potential of our own understanding and that would be an awful thing if …show more content…
To me that’s no different from ignorant prisoners in a cave chained to a wall in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. Practically mindless being kept in solitary confinement with no sense of what is really out there for them. But what if they were able to free themselves, will their minds still be mindless? Or, will they start to question the new world around them? Some may say that they live a comfortable life by having a daily routine that is consistent with their everyday functions, which maybe be true to them, and might be fine for the rest of their existence. But, for others, may find that that is not an examined life and unquestionably not a way to live. We must try to get goodness outside our daily routine. We should dig deep into our imagination, break free from the chains and inquiry about all that is happening around us. To ask why and what is the purpose of any matter. What is the sole purpose of our presence and what can be asked to deeply understanding a meaningful examined
The words by Socrates “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato, Apology 37e-38a) has a very deep and unique meaning. Although, what exactly do we define “the examined life” to be? To me, the examined life refers to how we should contemplate and question how we live out our daily …show more content…
Choices are made everyday that affects us in multiple ways. Sometimes those are not good choices and without the ability to reason, we as individuals may have a hard time gauging out the values of those choices. We use reasons to learn from mistakes when bad judgments happen. We reason so that we can think from a logical stand point. We use reason to differ from bad and good. We must reason in order understand knowledge that gained through an examined life. We can mindlessly perform tasks without having reasons at all but then we’d never reach full potential of our own understanding and that would be an awful thing if …show more content…
To me that’s no different from ignorant prisoners in a cave chained to a wall in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. Practically mindless being kept in solitary confinement with no sense of what is really out there for them. But what if they were able to free themselves, will their minds still be mindless? Or, will they start to question the new world around them? Some may say that they live a comfortable life by having a daily routine that is consistent with their everyday functions, which maybe be true to them, and might be fine for the rest of their existence. But, for others, may find that that is not an examined life and unquestionably not a way to live. We must try to get goodness outside our daily routine. We should dig deep into our imagination, break free from the chains and inquiry about all that is happening around us. To ask why and what is the purpose of any matter. What is the sole purpose of our presence and what can be asked to deeply understanding a meaningful examined