The fleeting Pursuit of Wisdom
The power of knowledge has lead humanity in an endless quest to discover the unknown since the beginning of time. Yet the question of what exactly we know cannot be measured as there are no standards of measurements. We are ever learning yet what we know is always subjective in light of the undiscovered and perhaps we know nothing at all. Philosophy offers the promise of discoveries through the purposeful search and acquisition of wisdom to enrich the soul, yet attaining the promise itself is elusive — it is an endless path of questioning ourselves and the world around us. This paper will compare and contrast Socrates' attitude about philosophy in his
Apology and Allegory of the Cave with the Good Brahmin's attitude …show more content…
He perceived himself to be wiser because as least he knew that he did not know anything. This causes Socrates to make some philosophical conclusions. He believed that the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Secondly by the very fact that he was being accused he believed that people are not just comfortable in their ignorance but hostile to anyone who points it out. The Allegory of the Cave also draws similar Philosophical conclusions. In the allegory, the knowledge of man is described through the perspective lenses of men who perceive reality as casting shadows on the wall of the cave because that is all they are limited to seeing. Their knowledge is a mere illusion but they do not know that so they do not seek to know the truth. Yet when one of them escapes the bondage of limitation and becomes enlightened and tries to enlighten his fellow men they refuse to heed his words and perceive it to be outlandish (Hall,
1980). This brings us back to Socrates’ main premise that “the only true wisdom is in …show more content…
I believe the acquisition of knowledge is endless because there is always a greater depth to what one knows and only by the desire to know more does one discover the unknown.
In my view, even though knowledge has no end, every discovery of knowledge is beneficial to existence and the sustenance of life in some way. For instance, the first model of the flying apparatus the Wright brothers created does not compare to the flying marvels of today yet their discovery was a crucial stepping stone. Even knowledge gleaned from failures provides a learning tool to avert future failures. I understand the despair of the Good Brahmin in that there is always more to learn regardless of how much time one devotes to learning but I disagree that one cannot find solace in the little they know however minuscule. Learning should not be accompanied with the vaulting ambition to know it all but rather the desire to know some because we can only know in part or else the discovery of knowledge can lead to misery.
In the end, I consider it wisdom to know that there are many philosophies as there are opinions and while is it good to learn from others, it is better to live according to the courage of one
The power of knowledge has lead humanity in an endless quest to discover the unknown since the beginning of time. Yet the question of what exactly we know cannot be measured as there are no standards of measurements. We are ever learning yet what we know is always subjective in light of the undiscovered and perhaps we know nothing at all. Philosophy offers the promise of discoveries through the purposeful search and acquisition of wisdom to enrich the soul, yet attaining the promise itself is elusive — it is an endless path of questioning ourselves and the world around us. This paper will compare and contrast Socrates' attitude about philosophy in his
Apology and Allegory of the Cave with the Good Brahmin's attitude …show more content…
He perceived himself to be wiser because as least he knew that he did not know anything. This causes Socrates to make some philosophical conclusions. He believed that the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Secondly by the very fact that he was being accused he believed that people are not just comfortable in their ignorance but hostile to anyone who points it out. The Allegory of the Cave also draws similar Philosophical conclusions. In the allegory, the knowledge of man is described through the perspective lenses of men who perceive reality as casting shadows on the wall of the cave because that is all they are limited to seeing. Their knowledge is a mere illusion but they do not know that so they do not seek to know the truth. Yet when one of them escapes the bondage of limitation and becomes enlightened and tries to enlighten his fellow men they refuse to heed his words and perceive it to be outlandish (Hall,
1980). This brings us back to Socrates’ main premise that “the only true wisdom is in …show more content…
I believe the acquisition of knowledge is endless because there is always a greater depth to what one knows and only by the desire to know more does one discover the unknown.
In my view, even though knowledge has no end, every discovery of knowledge is beneficial to existence and the sustenance of life in some way. For instance, the first model of the flying apparatus the Wright brothers created does not compare to the flying marvels of today yet their discovery was a crucial stepping stone. Even knowledge gleaned from failures provides a learning tool to avert future failures. I understand the despair of the Good Brahmin in that there is always more to learn regardless of how much time one devotes to learning but I disagree that one cannot find solace in the little they know however minuscule. Learning should not be accompanied with the vaulting ambition to know it all but rather the desire to know some because we can only know in part or else the discovery of knowledge can lead to misery.
In the end, I consider it wisdom to know that there are many philosophies as there are opinions and while is it good to learn from others, it is better to live according to the courage of one