Ever wonder what Socrates meant when he said “the unexamined life is not worth living?” I’ll take a crack at explaining. Basically, when we talk about “purpose” we can talk about two types: first-order purpose (or quasi-purpose) and second-order purpose (self-reflective purpose). First order purpose is basically what distinguishes living things from matter. It is…
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socrates
The philosopher should not care about eating and drinking
The philosopher should not care about eating and drinking, but of course he should eat as much as is necessary; there is no suggestion of fasting. And we are told that Socrates, though indifferent to wine, could, on occasion, drink more than anybody else, without ever becoming intoxicated. It was not drinking that he condemned,…
Pretending to Know Things: Kierkegaard, Socrates and Torpedo Fish
Like many students who had to take an intro philosophy class in college, I was forced read Plato’s Five Dialogues. For those who don’t know, These five dialogues focus primarily on the historical character of Socrates, Plato’s teacher. In them, Socrates discusses or debates a subject, often an ethical one (friendship, piety) with a friend…