Comparing Plato's Apology, Republic, Phaedo And Crito

Everyone in society has different views on the best kind of life. Some people think that the best kind of life is one that is filled with family. Some may think that it is concerning living life without any regrets and being prosperous, healthy and having someone to share it all with. But this is not the case for Socrates. Having very profound views about what could be called the best kind of life for a human being. This paper is going to explore four areas that Socrates believes makes up the best kind of life for humans. The fist point that this paper is going too examine the values and how it was vital for Socrates. Secondly this paper is going to explore virtue. The Third point of this paper is the pursuit of happiness. And lastly
this paper will examine wisdom. These three components put together makes up Socrates' view on the best kind of life.
In Plato's Apology, Republic, Phaedo and Crito we find statements of Socrates' views of the best kind of life for a human being.
This includes happiness and the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. However, because Socrates' views are broken up throughout these dialogues, it is sometimes difficult to see how his remarks fit together into a logical scheme. An appreciation of his values and worldviews can help us understand both his lifestyle and his behavior in the Apology, Republic, Phaedo and Crito. There are important differences between how the ancient Greeks viewed ethics and how most people view it today. The Greek word ethos, from which we derive our word ‘ethics,' means ‘habit.' Consequently, the central ethical question for ancient Greeks such as Socrates was not "What is the right action to perform in this particular situation?" but rather "What kind of person?" or, equivalently, "What kinds of habits
and character should be cultivated?" By contrast, society tends to focus our principled discussions on the moral permissibility of certain actions. In the views of today lengthy conversation about ethics would certainly not be the same as it was in the past. Some individuals are willing to reflect on these questions. They are generally hesitant to discuss questions about what kind of persons they should to be. They may become uncomfortable and sometimes defensive when questions are raised about the ethics of their personal habits and lifestyles. Socrates, however, like many ancient Greeks, believed that we need to settle questions about ethically virtuous character before we can properly settle questions about the morality of actions. Socrates was willing to die for his values. He would not let the Greek society control his way of life, he would rather die and stand his grounds. "For I spend my whole life in going about and persuading you all to give your first and greatest care to the improvement of your souls and not till you have done that to think of your bodies or your wealth"
The Greek word for virtue (arete) can also be translated as "excellence" and can be applied to a wider range of cases than our word "virtue." Consequently, when Socrates asked "When is someone's life a truly happy life?" and was connecting virtue and happiness, Socrates was really asking "What makes some human beings into truly excellent people?" or "What is the best, most excellent kind of life a person can live?" When society thinks of happiness, it tends to think about how people feel about their lives. By contrast, Socrates thought of happiness as an objective feature of one's life. According to the Crito Socrates claims that, "But my good friend, to me it appears that the conclusion which we have just reached is the same as our conclusion of former times. Now consider whether we still hold the belief that we should see the highest value, not on living but on living well?" Many people today are troubled with the length of their lives rather than with the good quality of life they live.
They spend a great deal of time and money trying to improve their health through exercise, dieting and medicine and comparatively little time and effort trying to become more virtuous people. Socrates demonstrates that living good defines living a happy life. Happiness is a virtuous activity that fulfills our proper purpose. "And you may easily see that it is the god that has given me to your city; for it is not human, the way in which I have neglected all my own interest and allowed my private affairs to be neglected for so many years, while occupying myself unceasingly in your interest, going to each of you privately like a father or an elder brother, trying to persuade him to care for human excellence." By human excellence Socrates is relating to the good of the soul. Socrates would rather live a good life then to not live at
all.
As per the Apology Socrates encouraged the young men of Athens to be more concerned with wisdom. "My good friend, you are a citizen of Athens, a city which is very great and very famous for its wisdom and power-are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?" Socrates is not troubled by anything else, including the pursuit of wealth, reputation and honor. Socrates is not interested in material things. Socrates is more concerned about the soul and the pursuit of wisdom.
For Socrates, knowledge is the highest good of virtue. Knowledge of virtue is to come first before it is put into practice. "So we must have received our knowledge of all realities before we were born" A rational understanding of nature and meaning of goodness, self control, truth, wisdom and justice is the pre-condition of the human being practiced in life. The good is beyond knowledge, but the pursuit for the good is what Socrates is after. This is what Socrates strives for in his existence. "And so with the objects of knowledge: these derive from the Good not only their power of being known, but their very being and reality; and Goodness is not the same thing as being, but even beyond being, surpassing it in dignity and power."
Socrates believed that no man is willingly bad or reluctantly good. Those who have real knowledge of the truth cannot act incorrectly, for virtue is for one's own interest, happiness and respect. Virtue and happiness mean the same thing but one cannot be virtuous without knowledge. "And if I tell you that no greater good can happen to a man than to discuss human excellence every day and the other matters about which you have heard me arguing and examining myself and others and that an unexamined life is not worth living, then you will believe me still less." The pursuit of the good life as seen in this paper is not the same for everyone. Socrates had his own vision in regards to the best kind of life. For Socrates values, virtues, happiness and wisdom is the key for the good life. That is why Socrates until his death believed that by following these four points he was living the just and best kind of life.

Notes / Biography