Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greekphilosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Plato's dialogues are among the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity, though it is unclear the degree to which Socrates himself is "hidden behind his 'best disciple', Plato"...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
ignorance certainty knows
I know nothing but the certainty of my own ignorance.
knows
All that I know is nothing - I'm not even sure of that.
men long-ago should-have
If I had engaged in politics, O men of Athens, I should have perished long ago, and done no good either to you or to myself.
knowledge knows
I know what I do not know.
men mystery he-man
The greatest of all mysteries is the man himself.
humility pride men
Pride divides the men, humility joins them.
grieving self acting
Do not grieve over someone who changes all of the sudden. It might be that he has given up acting and returned to his true self.
believe ignorance demonstration
To Believe without evidence and demonstration is an act of ignorance and folly
ignorance way healed
The bad one is that way because of the ignorance, therefore he can be healed with wisdom.
apology men thinking
You are wrong, sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life or death; he should look to this only in his actions, whether what he does is right or wrong, whether he is acting like a good or a bad man.
character
What most counts is not merely to live, but to live right.
men evil good-man
Living or dead, to a good man there can come no evil.
change intelligent ignorant
Only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change.
giving soul honor
Are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation, and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul?