Contradiction among the Worlds of Socrates
Contradiction among the Worlds of Socrates
Wisdom is an important topic examined by Socrates in Plato’s Apology. Socrates points out that wisdom is admitting one’s own ignorance. Socrates believes that his own wisdom comes from realizing that “in respect of wisdom he is really worthless”(44). Socrates shows wisdom because he is able to admit what he does not know. He does not pretend to have knowledge when he does not have it. Socrates puts different people reputed for knowledge into examination and concludes that they do not really have any wisdom. He finds that “the people with the greatest reputations were almost entirely deficient, while others who were suppose to be their inferiors were much more noteworthy for their general good sense”(43). It is actually those who claim to lesser knowledge who have greater wisdom. This means that possession of human knowledge cannot lead to wisdom. Instead, ignorance and one’s capability to accept it is the key to true wisdom.
Even though Socrates shows that knowledge cannot bring true wisdom, he is on a continual search for knowledge and truth. He proposes to the jury, “think of my adventures as a cycle of labours undertaken to establish the truth”(43). Because Socrates had already stated that knowledge is not the way to wisdom, it makes his investigations seem pointless and contradicting. Once a person pursues and gains knowledge, he can no longer admit to ignorance. But Socrates had claimed that realizing one’s own ignorance is true wisdom. I found Socrates to be contradictory in his arguments because he strongly believes in examination for truth and the search for knowledge, but he claims that accepting ignorance instead of acquiring knowledge is true wisdom.
In his defense against his old accusers, Socrates centralizes his argument on disproving any personal wisdom that he possesses. He asks himself, “I have no claim to wisdom, great or small; so what can he mean by asserting that I am the wisest man”(42). Socrates’ objections of his own wisdom leads to an examination of what is true wisdom. He examines different classes of people who held a reputation for wisdom. In all of them, the politician, the poet, and the craftsmen, all seem to exhibit the same flaw. In addition to each of their respective lines of work,...