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Criticism Of 'Wisdom In Socrates Apology'

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In the Apology, Socrates, who is on trial for impiety and corupting the youth, makes the claim that wisdom is greater than wealth and possesions. This essay aims to analyze this claim by looking at the concept of wisdom according to Socrates, discussing supporting arguments, and by addressing a possible criticism.
Firstly, we will examine what Socrates believed wisdom to be. Socrates said that wisdom was the awareness of ones own ignorance. This awareness could be gained through examination of ones life and beliefs. For example, one way in which Socrates examined others in the Apology was through dialouge. He would ask a question, receive an answer and point out a flaw in the reasoning for their belief. When a solution to the flaw could not …show more content…

First, we must agree that in most cases, people will choose to make a more virtuous decision if they are aware that they may be making an unvirtuous one instead. That is, people want to make virtuous decisions. Because wisdom is the awareness of your own ignorance, and unvirtuous decisions are ignorant, wisdom can make you more aware of when you are possibly going to make an unvirtious decesion. Accordingly, an awareness of a possible unvirtuous decision may prompt one to make a virtuous one instead. This is comparable to Socrates daimonion that warned or prevented him forming doing something wrong (unvirtuous). The result of a person making many virtuous decisions is a person of virtue. From our conclusion that virtue improves the soul (C), we can say that those with virtue have improved their soul. This gives reason for why one may choose wisdom over wealth and possessions. Wealth and possessions are not virtues; getting more wealth and possesions does not improve the soul. Rather, it could be thought of as more of a distraction, as the time spent trying to get wealth and possessions could be used in the pursuit of wisdom.
A second argument that Socrates makes in the Apology for the pursuit of wisdom over wealth and possesions is the enduring value of wisdom. In this case, enduring means anything that can last a long time, if not forever without being negatively changed. I would like to argue two points: 1. Wisdom is immaterial and therefore cannot be lost or altered by the physical world. 2. The value of something that last forever (wisdom) is greater than the value of something temporary (money &

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