Introduction
Socrates is the most important representative of Western philosophy; his ideas form a continuum from ancient Greece to modern Western thought. Socrates’ personality made philosophers stop dealing with natural phenomena and begin dealing with man and society. In fact, many philosophers were engaged in solving political problems even before Socrates, while Democritus dealt with ethical issues (Plato and Cooper 17). However, it was Socrates who put forward these questions, applying philosophical thinking to them and influencing the entire Western world and thought.
Morality
Socrates did not leave any written works as a heritage. However, his disciple Plato recorded the dialogues he had with his teacher – and through them, people could observe Socrates’ ideas (Thomas 228). Primarily, he was invested in cosmological theories, striving to find out how the universe works, but disappointed by the assumptions of natural sciences, Socrates decided to start his own journey in search of true wisdom (Thomas 227). He encouraged individuals to follow moral rules and always be just. For Socrates, justice is what helps a person achieve true happiness and find balance in his soul. Socrates believed that pleasure is good, but only moral people can achieve true and lasting happiness. Socrates proved in the end that there is a higher eternal human nature with universal moral values that serve and guide human behavior.
These ideas were expressed in his search for morality in Western society. Socrates was convinced that no matter what good deeds a person did, if they did them unconsciously, from the point of view of proper ethics, it remains as immoral as if a person had done wrong (Thomas 211). Socrates called wisdom, sanity, moderation, temperance, and justice the supreme virtues. However, all this can be given to an individual only through mental comprehension of the essence of all values, such as love, wealth, beauty, and fame. Only when a person learns this will they be able to gain knowledge, which is the primary good in life. Ignorance, Socrates believed, is the first vice of all humankind. In his opinion, the individual most of all feels the need to know himself, as well as his affairs. To clarify, verify and define these concepts, Socrates used the dialectical method. This method aimed at revealing the truth through argument, polemics, and conversation. Thus, these values have become the cornerstone of ethical studies in the West.
Search for Freedom
What is more, he investigated the notion of freedom – the concept widely spread in the Western world, especially in terms of political, social, and other expressions. He inquired, “What is freedom?” and answered that it is guided not by reason but by a mind, while the arbitrariness is a formal liberty, not a real one (Thomas 214). True freedom is freedom that has an infinite, single foundation and not a multitude of finite foundations, even if it is an extensive set (Plato and Cooper). This concept was accepted in Western civilization since people have been looking forward to being free.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Socratic philosophy had a massive impact on the entire subsequent history of philosophical thought and also managed to make an indelible impression on his students and contemporaries. He significantly influenced Western civilization and thought by introducing lifelong values and establishing the principle of morality. The most crucial contribution related to his study of freedom – the phenomenon always sought by the people of the West.
Work Cited
Plato, and John Cooper. The Trial and the Death of Socrates. Logos Books, 2019.
Thomas, Martin. “The Peloponnesian War and Its Aftermath in Athens.” Ancient Greece, Yale University Press, 2013, pp. 186-221.