Socrates

Running Head : SOCRATES ON LIFE

Socrates on Life : Philosophy of Justice and Well-Being

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Socrates on Life : Philosophy of Justice and Well-Being

Socrates was one of the earliest Greek philosophers who pondered on the general meaning of life . The meaning of life in general cannot be contained in a continuum , as one of his disciples said . It is located in the very heart of a person 's personality which is composed of the rational mind and the emotion-filled heart . In addition , life itself can be distinguished from

other forms of existence ' because of its ability to manifest itself in different forms . Thus , life itself cannot be defined by wealth or bodily pleasure . Such things according to him were itself corrupt things that destroy the purpose and true nature of human beings . These things need moderation in to function effectively . Effectiveness does not connote the ability to morph , that is , the ability to multiply the needs and luxuries of life . Rather effectiveness is the ability to increase the potentials of the human personality , that is , of human nature

Thus , rather than focus on the vagrancies of material existence , one should focus on the inner being : the soul . To quote him : . I go around doing nothing but persuading both young and old among you not to care for your body or your wealth in preference to or as strongly as for the best possible state of your soul ' In this quotation , Socrates does not differentiate the human nature of young and old . Human nature is the same among individuals across different cultures and societies The human soul is the common factor of all human beings

Here , Socrates pondered on the nature of the human being . The human soul is the utmost mirror of the human flesh . It is the foundation of every action , attitude , emotion , and motives of human beings . Thus , to destroy the soul is tantamount to destroying human nature . One of the ways to destroy the soul is through the process of corruption Corruption is the process of changing human nature (Plato 1992 /383B .C . It is an artificial process of metamorphosis . Being an artificial process connotes that it does not transcend nature . It is neither created by nature nor a Supreme entity . Rather , the process is created by the vagrancies of daily life that is , the exigencies and luxuries of life (Plato , 1992 /383B .C . Here Socrates pointed that corruption is the perversion of moderation moderation being the way of life ' designed to preserve the human nature . Human nature here is tantamount to the state of being or the soul itself . .It is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue everyday and those things about which you hear from me conversing and testing myself and others for the unexamined life is not worth living

Socrates primordial conception of life was written by his disciples (he did not write anything . After his death , many of his followers tried to reestablish the basic tenets...