Socrates was a moral absolutist who stood by his principles of skepticism and curiosity while encouraging introspection and doubt among the populace of Athens, believing it to be a divine mission and right.
Moral Absolutist
"We should never do injustice. Therefore we should never return an injustice. We should never do evil to anyone. Therefore we should never return evil for evil. To do evil to a human being is no different from acting unjustly" (Johnson, 115). "It is never right to do wrong, or to requite wrong with wrong, or when we suffer evil to defend ourselves by doing evil in return" -Socrates, Crito
MORAL ABSOLUTIST
Acting justly
Retaliation
Ends do not justify the means
Encouraging Doubt
"I know nothing except for my own ignorance"
"The unexamined life is not worth living"
"To find yourself: think for yourself"
"I know nothing, that is why I ask so many questions"
"I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think"
Encouraging Doubt
Examined common people of Athens
Accused of "corrupting the youth"
Socratic method of instruction
Question everything
Divine Mission
"To practice philosophy has been indicated to me by God, through divination, dreams, and every other means by which divine orders have told anyone to do anything"
"I believe God ordered me to live philosophizing, examining myself and others"
(Johnson, 78)
Divine Mission
Refused to enter politics
Oracle at Delphi
Accused of impiety
"Not believing in the gods of the state"
"Introducing his own gods"
Not accused of atheism
Works Cited
Colaiaco, James A. Socrates Against Athens: Philosophy on Trial. Taylor & Francis, 2001. Print.
Johnson, Paul. Socrates: A Man for Our Times. New York: Viking, 2011. Print.
Kierkegaard, Soren. The Concept of Irony. Princeton University Press, 1992. Print.
