Socrates: A Critical Reflection On The Unexamined Life

“The unexamined life is not worth living” has become one of Socrates most famous quotes- likely because of how boldly it proclaims wisdom as being the cardinal virtue, something to be valued even more than life. Socrates believed this method of examining oneself was so important that he died for it; he could have chosen exile, to live, but instead chose to become a martyr in defense of it. The idea that Socrates defended so valiantly was self-examination is so important because of the change and growth it allows people to go through to become better; not only this, but this method of critical reflection also realigned values with what is really important in life. Socrates believes that examination and scrutiny of one’s beliefs is necessary …show more content…
If one does not examine their values and what they put value in, they generally believe the insignificant to be what is important and what is significant to not be important. In the Apology, Socrates addresses the men of Athens on this subject: “Are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honour and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul” (Apology). Through this statement, Socrates encapsulates perfectly the state that an unexamined society exists in- one that values greatness over goodness. Though over two thousand years have past since Socrates stated this before the court, it is still an accurate portrait of society, even today; people amass material things, strive to become famous, and work seemingly only to gain wealth while hardly caring about knowledge, morals, or personal integrity. This skewing of values is a result of an unexamined life. People who never inspect what they believe to be important are swept up into society’s race of riches and fame, instead of focusing on learning about the truth of the world and reality. This state of thought is a funny reality that seems to plague every society, and often destroys it: people become greedy, and their endeavors become more feverish and ruthless to obtain more and more wealth and power, not caring …show more content…
A world that does not ever look at its shortcomings is a soulless world; for it cannot see its faults to improve them, it cannot see its hatred to abate it, and it can not see how crooked it has become. Looking at Athens as an example, the great empire that fell so far into despair after a reign of greatness because it refused teachings like Socrates preached, it is easy to see how the unexamined life can lead to a path of strife. Examination leads to a path of betterment, of spiritual health, as Socrates hoped to induce. A life without review is bleak, for the faults of life can never be fixed if they are never