According to Socrates, “an unexamined life is not worth living”. However, people generally go through life without exploring their reasons for living or formulating desires to fuel a purpose. Which brings up the question, are there lives worthless from the philosophical standpoint of Socrates? Or is our social function in society a sufficient reason to live, even if it means we do not have a purpose for ourselves. In the case of Ivan Illych, the protagonist of Leo Tolstoy “The Death Of Ivan Illych”, was life worth anything if his death did not? Also, who is it that determines the worth of our lives? Answering these questions requires a critical analysis of the philosophical difference between Socrates and Ivan, as well as the meaning of my own existence.
The philosophical difference between Ivan and Socrates lie in the two distinct perspectives towards life they held. While Ivan valued society’s acceptance and concerned himself only with its expectations, Socrates sought wisdom and the examination of societal …show more content…
To elaborate, my current perception of my existence refuses to accept death as a conclusion at any moment in time. If it was able to accept that, then many of my aspirations and desires would become clouded in melancholy, fear, and disinterest. I would not be able to find purpose in continuing life, much less pursing goals and ambitions, if the reality of a fragile existence lingered conspicuously in my mind. As such, I must perceive my existence to be secure and to an extent infinite—without the threat of immediate demise. This irrationality behind the security of my existence enables me to make “rational” justifications for why I must set goals and seek progress in my life. Without this irrationality, I would have no rational reason to live. As such, I am irrational, in that I believe my existence to be secure, for the sake of having a rationale to
The philosophical difference between Ivan and Socrates lie in the two distinct perspectives towards life they held. While Ivan valued society’s acceptance and concerned himself only with its expectations, Socrates sought wisdom and the examination of societal …show more content…
To elaborate, my current perception of my existence refuses to accept death as a conclusion at any moment in time. If it was able to accept that, then many of my aspirations and desires would become clouded in melancholy, fear, and disinterest. I would not be able to find purpose in continuing life, much less pursing goals and ambitions, if the reality of a fragile existence lingered conspicuously in my mind. As such, I must perceive my existence to be secure and to an extent infinite—without the threat of immediate demise. This irrationality behind the security of my existence enables me to make “rational” justifications for why I must set goals and seek progress in my life. Without this irrationality, I would have no rational reason to live. As such, I am irrational, in that I believe my existence to be secure, for the sake of having a rationale to