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
motivation two excellence
In every one of us there are two ruling and directing principles, whose guidance we follow wherever they may lead; the one being an innate desire of pleasure; the other, an acquired judgment which aspires after excellence.
apology blessing two
Let us reflect in this way, too, that there is good hope that death is a blessing, for it is one of two things: either the dead are nothing and have no perception of anything, or it is, as we are told, a change and a relocation for the soul from here to another place.
ignorance two soul
There are two kinds of disease of the soul, vice and ignorance.
appear experience honor human increase practice reality shortest strengthen surest themselves virtues
The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.
ashamed care caring fame improvement money neither nor truth wisdom
Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?
enjoy enjoyment later
Enjoy yourself -- it's later than you think.
artificial contentment luxury natural poverty
Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty
good men virtue
Virtue does not come from wealth, but. . . wealth, and every other good thing which men have. . . comes from virtue.
beauty inward man outward
Give me beauty in the inward soul; may the outward and the inward man be at one.
bare compliments giving sensible
Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.
knowledge
One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.
eyes given hear listening nature
Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue-to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak.
evil good
There is only one good -- knowledge; and only one evil -- ignorance.
evil ignorance
There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance