Socrates (470-399 B.C)

Socrates (470-399 B.C) constantly preached the phrase, “Know thyself.” Then in the final hours of Socrates, he spoke the phrase, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He said that a life like this would be incomplete, it is not fully functioning and it lacks virtue or any from an excellence. Greek for soul, psyche was a major point in the ideals of Socrates. Psyche in today’s terms, is a combination of mind and soul. As Soccio puts it, “An unexamined life is a life that takes the psyche for granted. An unexamined life is, in a sense and unconscious life. It is lived on the minimal level: Thinking never rises above practical concerns; desires are rarely pondered; custom habit and unquestioned beliefs substitute for reflection and assessment.” (pg. 116) An examined life is a life that is devoted to the advancement of intellect and does not and cannot take the psyche for granted.
B| Socrates would say that ethics is relative to the culture. One thing in a western culture could have a completely different view point to an Islamic culture. For example, sacrificing of animals is considered pointless and cruel to and American culture. On the other side of the coin, the killing of animals is considered necessary and is practiced frequently in other cultures.

Virtues defined as, human excellence is it a combination of knowledge and understanding. A word that Socrates uses to describe this is, techne. Techno is a Greek term for practical knowledge of how to do things. Soccio says that, “At various times, teche meant art, skill, craft, technique, trade, system, or method o doing something. It is the root of English words such as technique, technical, and technology. Techne is knowledge of what to do and how to do it. It is knowledge of both mean and ultimate ends.” (pg. 122) Good virtues will lead to happiness. One must follow three specific virtues: mind, body and character. Must have a good mind, a good body (that exercises) and have great character, no lying or stealing. If one does this that will reach human excellence, which leads to happiness.

No one knowingly does evil as Soccio states, “The fundamental Socratic imperative “Know thyself” takes on special significance in light of Socrates’ views that human beings always seek what they believe to be their own welfare and cannot deliberately do otherwise.” (pg. 121) Socrates says that the good and the harm are determined by what the individual thinks is good for their soul. They think that at the moment of the wrong doing they are ignorant to what the effects are and what they are truly doing.