Friday, February 20, 2026

Apology Question 4

 Primary Text:

Apology

Question:

What is the mission of a philosopher according to Socrates?

Answer:

The greatest good is examining oneself and others.

According to Socrates in the Apology, the mission of a philosopher is to examine oneself and others daily concerning virtue and truth, because the unexamined life is not worth living. Philosophy is both a moral duty and the greatest good for human beings.

“Perhaps someone might say: But Socrates, if you leave us will you not be able to live quietly, without talking? Now this is the most difficult point on which to convince some of you. If I say that it is impossible for me to keep quiet because that means disobeying the god, you will not believe me and will think I am being ironical. On the other hand, if I say that it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less.” (See Apology 38)

Reference:

Plato (1997). Plato: Complete Works. Hackett Publishing. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781603846707

 

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