The last days of Socrates

The Last Days of Socrates

In his use of critical reasoning, by his unwavering commitment to truth, and through the vivid example of his own life, fifth-century Athenian Socrates set the standard for all subsequent Western philosophy.

During the course of his life, Socrates devoted himself to free-wheeling discussion with the aristocratic young citizens of Athens, insistently questioning their unwarranted confidence in the truth of popular opinions, even though he often offered them no clear alternative teaching.

Most remarkably, Socrates argues that 'knowledge' and 'virtue' are so closely related that no human agent knowingly does evil: we all invariably do what we believe to be best. Improper conduct, then, can only be a product of our ignorance rather than a symptom of weakness of the will. The same view is also defended in the(Protagoras) along with the belief that all of the virtues must be cultivated together.