Socrates: an Archetypal Paradigmatic Individual

Socrates: An Archetypal Paradigmatic Individual

According to the reading it can be assumed that Socrates is an archetypal paradigmatic individual. He was a rare human being, he spoke of a profound message, lived out what he taught and was a life guide for us to learn from and follow. It was evident in how he lived his life and his very character represented that. Although Socrates wrote no philosophy and there aren’t any accounts of his thoughts he is perhaps the most influential philosopher in history. Almost everything we know about him comes from his students and successors. He was passionate about critical thinking and was rather annoying in his questioning and understood that the mind needed to be challenged. He was believed to be wise because of his techniques, but knew otherwise. He didn’t seek approval from the gods. His knowledge and values challenged the social norms of ancient Greece by inspiring people to know thyself and pursue understanding of life. Socrates was reputed to be far from handsome. For this reason, Socrates claimed that the appearance of the body is less important. He claimed that the true self is not the body but the psyche. Socrates beliefs and values made him a hero among the Stoics. He had faithful followers of his teachings but was charged with being a traitor and influencing the youth to believe in the truth. Socrates believed in integrity, justice and courage. He fought for what he believed in and even though he was afforded the opportunity to escape for breaking the laws of his time he believed in the justice that resulted in his