socrates states that " the unexamined life is not worth living" , what does he mean by this , the significance and importance of this statement refering to his life and deeath as studied in " the apology"
also , what do YOU think philosophy is and why its important?
Generally the philosophers study thougtht and opinion, thus they have high odds of becoming independent and having their own opinion instead of copying others.
If the nation was made entirely of philosophers, the dogma and the religion would not have near the effect that it has upon a shallow mass.
The life would not be “worth living” because its value was not understood or controlled, IMO.
In the context of Plato and Socrates, philosophy is about asking questions. Chiefly, it is questioning the values and beliefs the mass takes for granted - for example, in Plato’s Euthyphro, all Socrates does is ask what we mean by “virtue”, or in the Symposium, he asks what we mean by “love”. This is, to an extent, what Philosophy is about.
When someone makes a statement, we ask “what does he mean?”; Philosophy looks at language and thought. I don’t think philosophy can really be seen as a subject in itself, as an end. It’s a means to an end, a tool. Bertrand Russell made a good point, that without philosophy, science is blind. It is the same for all subjects, History, Theology, English Literature, Physics, anything.
I don’t think philosophy can answer questions about the meaning of life, or what the essential nature of reality is, but I think we can use philosophy to make or study statements about those issues.
In the context of Plato and Socrates, philosophy is about asking questions. Chiefly, it is questioning the values and beliefs the mass takes for granted - for example, in Plato’s Euthyphro, all Socrates does is ask what we mean by “virtue”, or in the Symposium, he asks what we mean by “love”. This is, to an extent, what Philosophy is about.
When someone makes a statement, we ask “what does he mean?”; Philosophy looks at language and thought. I don’t think philosophy can really be seen as a subject in itself, as an end. It’s a means to an end, a tool. Bertrand Russell made a good point, that without philosophy, science is blind. It is the same for all subjects, History, Theology, English Literature, Physics, anything.
I don’t think philosophy can answer questions about the meaning of life, or what the essential nature of reality is, but I think we can use philosophy to make or study statements about those issues.
In the context of Plato and Socrates, philosophy is about asking questions. Chiefly, it is questioning the values and beliefs the mass takes for granted - for example, in Plato’s Euthyphro, all Socrates does is ask what we mean by “virtue”, or in the Symposium, he asks what we mean by “love”. This is, to an extent, what Philosophy is about.
When someone makes a statement, we ask “what does he mean?”; Philosophy looks at language and thought. I don’t think philosophy can really be seen as a subject in itself, as an end. It’s a means to an end, a tool. Bertrand Russell made a good point, that without philosophy, science is blind. It is the same for all subjects, History, Theology, English Literature, Physics, anything.
I don’t think philosophy can answer questions about the meaning of life, or what the essential nature of reality is, but I think we can use philosophy to make or study statements about those issues.
You know you can tell a happy person when you see them. Maybe they’re really odd or they sing to themselves while they’re walking down the street. The’ve lived for a while and they really know themselves. What’s the point of living if you are so unhappy? I think unless you examine your self and really reflect on what life really means or what your existence means, then you’ll want to live and I mean REALLY live. I think people that go about their daily lives not worrrying about how they feel and what they really want will try to please other people and waste their tiiime. I’d kill myself if I tried to do that every day.
I do not understand why the point of living changes if you are happy or not. The point of living cannot be to simply be happy since when you are happy you no longer have any point of living; i.e. you no longer have anything to achieve.