Socrates

Socrates | The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living 470 BCE GREECE 399 BCE GREECE

Socrates is a philosopher of self-examination. He asks us to engage in regular dialogue with ourselves and others to examine the values that guide our lives. Two of his most fundamental beliefs—that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” and that a good life is a virtuous life—have come to define what it means to live a philosophical life. They present us with a bold challenge to live our lives with conviction by putting the truths and values we take for granted to the test. By identifying our beliefs and knowing why we believe what we do, we come to understand what we deem important and what makes our lives worth living. Self-examination allows us to live more purposeful lives. Without it we would not know who we are, or the meaning and value of our lives. Without self-examination, we would be blindly led by the whims of our instincts, desires or the authority of others.