The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living Essay
In Philosophy this far, we’ve covered many topics. In highlighting Philosophy, Wisdom, and the quote, “ The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living”, I will express the knowledge and insight I’ve taken away from Unit 1. This embodies one of the many examples of the concepts I will explain: “Too often, we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of the thought” (JFK).
Philosophy is the rational analysis of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct; the pursuit of happiness. The greek translation for Philosophy means the love of wisdom. The love of wisdom, as discussed in class, is best modelled after a quote by Pope Benedict XVI: “The world can offer you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” It is pushing and venturing outside of your comfort zone in search for the knowledge and understanding that wisdom offers. There are many concepts often misconstrued in philosophy that we discussed in class. For example, it is a misconception when people come to the conclusion that there are no correct answers in Philosophy. It is a fact that there are indeed correct answers …show more content…
and guidelines for philosophizing. We seek truth, not opinion. Another example is that Philosophy is a battle between wits and who is smarter/better, but that is false. Philosophers actually work together in search for truth, even if they disagree. In the excerpt from Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II wrote an Encyclical Letter explaining the relationship between Faith and Reason. In the excerpt, he says, “Every person has its own native and seminal wisdom which, as a true cultural treasure, tends to find voice and develop in forms which are genuinely philosophical… Driven by the desire to discover the ultimate truth of existence, human beings seek to acquire those universal elements of knowledge which enable them to understand themselves better and to advance in their own self-realization.” This further elaborates on the concept of the love of wisdom, showing that striving for wisdom is an innate desire within us, regardless of if we’re conscious of it or not. Pope John Paul II also describes in Fides et Ratio the difference between philosophy pride and philosophy inquiry. Philosophy pride “seeks to to present its own partial and imperfect view as the complete reading of all reality”, while philosophy inquiry is the root from which philosophy pride stems and is loyally served. Wisdom is a process of self reflection that essentially requires knowing yourself. Wisdom is having the ability to see both sides, attain knowledge of all subjects universally, and foster patience and humility. A better way to understand the complex concept is to dissect wisdom into an acronym we learned in class: W.I.S.D.O.M. This stands for Wonder, Insight, Sensible, Discernment, Obscure, and Make a Courageous Choice. Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. It involves both a spiritual and pure intellectual connection and helps humans to become more humane and know things through senses and experience but also desire to know. Insight is used for good, insight of manipulation. It looks beyond distractions and obstacles into the core and view things deeper than face value. It also requires more than experience, honing in your skills of patience, understanding and active listening. Sensible is being able to live, speak, think and approach problems with reason. It is a being that has an integrated blend of sense and reason and allows his/her life experiences to affect them in such a way that makes them aware of rational ways of handling their mistakes. Discernment takes time, patience and humility. It is the the difference between the “grey area”, which is the things that aren’t obvious. It is a divine gift of intuition that all people have within them. Obscure are abstract, unknown to most people and difficult to understand. Finally, Make a Courageous Choice is choosing what to do after experiencing and choosing to grow from your experiences to grow; consequently, Wisdom requires courage. This acronym for wisdom helps us to understand what makes a person wise. In contrast is a man of mere experience. Men of mere experience are those who live life only experiencing things without examining/thinking about them. According to Aristotle in Metaphysics, the difference between men of mere experience and a wise person: “For men of experience know that the thing is so, but do not know why, while the others know the ‘why’ and the cause… and in general it is a sign of the man who knows and of the man who does not know, that the former can teach, and therefore we think art truly knowledge than experience than experience is; for artists can teach, and men of mere experience cannot”. In other words, Aristotle implies that wisdom depends on knowledge.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” by Socrates is explaining that life without questions would be would not be of essence because as human beings,it is in our nature to desire to know and be curious.
In the article, The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living, School Papers explains, “ If a person does not examine his life, he may keep making the same mistakes and never change...The Apostle Peter says that while waiting for the return of Christ, one should “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him… Despite the fact that a man with an unexamined life should still continue to exist, he will not achieve the fulfillment that an examined life will.” Therefore, a person who does not question life and the essence of it isn’t really living accordingly. It is sensible to examine our behaviors and actions, and learn from
them.
In conclusion, Philosophy, Wisdom and the quote, “Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” are essential fundamental concepts to continue and further our Philosophical studies. It is important to know that thought originates everything we come to think in consciousness. All of the concepts align: Philosophy is seeking wisdom. Wisdom is knowing yourself (Nosce et Ipsum). Finally, according to the quote, “The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” is telling us that not learning knowing ourselves can be a detriment to our entire existence.
Philosophy is the rational analysis of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct; the pursuit of happiness. The greek translation for Philosophy means the love of wisdom. The love of wisdom, as discussed in class, is best modelled after a quote by Pope Benedict XVI: “The world can offer you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” It is pushing and venturing outside of your comfort zone in search for the knowledge and understanding that wisdom offers. There are many concepts often misconstrued in philosophy that we discussed in class. For example, it is a misconception when people come to the conclusion that there are no correct answers in Philosophy. It is a fact that there are indeed correct answers …show more content…
and guidelines for philosophizing. We seek truth, not opinion. Another example is that Philosophy is a battle between wits and who is smarter/better, but that is false. Philosophers actually work together in search for truth, even if they disagree. In the excerpt from Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II wrote an Encyclical Letter explaining the relationship between Faith and Reason. In the excerpt, he says, “Every person has its own native and seminal wisdom which, as a true cultural treasure, tends to find voice and develop in forms which are genuinely philosophical… Driven by the desire to discover the ultimate truth of existence, human beings seek to acquire those universal elements of knowledge which enable them to understand themselves better and to advance in their own self-realization.” This further elaborates on the concept of the love of wisdom, showing that striving for wisdom is an innate desire within us, regardless of if we’re conscious of it or not. Pope John Paul II also describes in Fides et Ratio the difference between philosophy pride and philosophy inquiry. Philosophy pride “seeks to to present its own partial and imperfect view as the complete reading of all reality”, while philosophy inquiry is the root from which philosophy pride stems and is loyally served. Wisdom is a process of self reflection that essentially requires knowing yourself. Wisdom is having the ability to see both sides, attain knowledge of all subjects universally, and foster patience and humility. A better way to understand the complex concept is to dissect wisdom into an acronym we learned in class: W.I.S.D.O.M. This stands for Wonder, Insight, Sensible, Discernment, Obscure, and Make a Courageous Choice. Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. It involves both a spiritual and pure intellectual connection and helps humans to become more humane and know things through senses and experience but also desire to know. Insight is used for good, insight of manipulation. It looks beyond distractions and obstacles into the core and view things deeper than face value. It also requires more than experience, honing in your skills of patience, understanding and active listening. Sensible is being able to live, speak, think and approach problems with reason. It is a being that has an integrated blend of sense and reason and allows his/her life experiences to affect them in such a way that makes them aware of rational ways of handling their mistakes. Discernment takes time, patience and humility. It is the the difference between the “grey area”, which is the things that aren’t obvious. It is a divine gift of intuition that all people have within them. Obscure are abstract, unknown to most people and difficult to understand. Finally, Make a Courageous Choice is choosing what to do after experiencing and choosing to grow from your experiences to grow; consequently, Wisdom requires courage. This acronym for wisdom helps us to understand what makes a person wise. In contrast is a man of mere experience. Men of mere experience are those who live life only experiencing things without examining/thinking about them. According to Aristotle in Metaphysics, the difference between men of mere experience and a wise person: “For men of experience know that the thing is so, but do not know why, while the others know the ‘why’ and the cause… and in general it is a sign of the man who knows and of the man who does not know, that the former can teach, and therefore we think art truly knowledge than experience than experience is; for artists can teach, and men of mere experience cannot”. In other words, Aristotle implies that wisdom depends on knowledge.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” by Socrates is explaining that life without questions would be would not be of essence because as human beings,it is in our nature to desire to know and be curious.
In the article, The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living, School Papers explains, “ If a person does not examine his life, he may keep making the same mistakes and never change...The Apostle Peter says that while waiting for the return of Christ, one should “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him… Despite the fact that a man with an unexamined life should still continue to exist, he will not achieve the fulfillment that an examined life will.” Therefore, a person who does not question life and the essence of it isn’t really living accordingly. It is sensible to examine our behaviors and actions, and learn from
them.
In conclusion, Philosophy, Wisdom and the quote, “Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” are essential fundamental concepts to continue and further our Philosophical studies. It is important to know that thought originates everything we come to think in consciousness. All of the concepts align: Philosophy is seeking wisdom. Wisdom is knowing yourself (Nosce et Ipsum). Finally, according to the quote, “The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” is telling us that not learning knowing ourselves can be a detriment to our entire existence.