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Socrates Impact On Western Civilization

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Joy Olson; Western Civilization
Socratic Philosophy Some might ask, “How can philosophy impact our lives?”. To all, the answer would be different, but they would have one thing in common. Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence1. Thus, it is a broad topic which Socrates truly understood and loved with a passion. Although he does not have any writings, his student, Plato, does and expands on Socratic teachings and philosophy. Some might say he is the father of philosophy and he had an incredible impact on philosophers in his time and even in today's society. His teachingings were focused around discovering the truth, understanding life, and talking about the elements that make life good. Hence, Socrates did not write any documents, but there are …show more content…

Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: a Brief History. Cengage Learning, 2017.
“The Apology of Socrates.” Plato's Apology, Crito and Phaedo of Socrates, by Henry Cary and Edward Brooks, Historical Books, Limited, 2016. each person; only critical examination was needed to call it forth7. Plato ideas of Socrates teachings were published by him in the dialogue called The Republic. During this time he was asking too many questions of those in authority and that led him into trouble. He was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens with his teachings8. Philosophy is so embedded into our society it is impossible not to see it. Socrates heavily impacted how, many subjects are taught and how we view the world. It is important to realize that many methods of education and questioning were originally created by him. The concepts of knowledge, virtue, and goodness are intertwined in the philosophy of Socrates, which help us with ethics and moral dilemmas today. He taught that “virtue is knowledge”9and that to take care of the soul is to make yourself as wise as possible with knowledge. Questioning reality helps us advance in society and constantly keeps us moving

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