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Why The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living Essay

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Until recently I was unacquainted with medical humanities. Now, I cannot imagine a program more compatible for me than medical humanities. I have been determined to become a medical practitioner for an extensive amount of time. I love every single aspect of practicing medicine. However, I was worried that my study of medicine would consume all of my time, and consequently I would no longer be able to study another field I am passionate about: humanities.
In this essay I am excited to discuss what I have discerned from Socrates’s dictum; “the unexamined life is not worth living”. I was first exposed to Socrates as a freshman during the humanities class I was taking, and his teachings made a considerable impact on my life. Many of my own outlooks towards life can be considered a consequence of the wisdom I found in Socrates 's words. I am convinced that Socrates believed that the purpose of life was to acquire knowledge and understanding of oneself and the world. In order to arrive at this conclusion and understand the essence of his statement I had to consider the life of Socrates and the events leading up to his death.
Socrates lived in Athens during the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, and is known as the father of western philosophy. Socrates believed in the pursuit of …show more content…

It was during this trial that Socrates would utter the words I have found so guiding. By a jury of 500 men, Socrates was found guilty. The jury solemnly delivered him his punishment; he would swear to discontinue his way of life, or he would be executed. Shockingly Socrates settled upon the latter. Why would he choose death? The answer is given by Socrates himself: "the unexamined life is not worth living". Socrates knew that he could not live without pursuing wisdom, he believed that it was the ultimate purpose in life. He embraced death over living an unexamined

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