Socrates And Voltaire Essay - 928 Words

The study of philosophy and the pursuit of its insights have been a goal of humans for ages and will likely continue to be for the foreseeable future. Why is it that so many people in history would choose to continue to dedicate time and resources to the understanding of things that we will likely never be able to have definitive answers about? Socrates and Voltaire were notable philosophers of not only their own times but still well respected today. Not only did both seek knowledge through philosophy themselves but also thought upon why someone would choose to study philosophy. Plato made a record of Socrates thoughts in his Apology and the Allegory of the Cave Readings in The Republic and Voltaire made his of note in the Story of a Good†¦show more content†¦Even if someone has the means or manner necessary to pursue philosophy there are those that choose not to do so. Socrates notes that those that do not wish to engage in philosophical thought not only wish to deny it for themselves but also to others. In the cave allegory, Socrates appears to suggest that those that do not seek enlightened knowledge and instead wish to only accept the world as they understand it, would treat those that do seek enlightenment as irrational. They seem to think that the explorers were blinded by the light of knowledge when they looked away from the shadows of the cave wall and no longer have a grasp on what is true (Plato, 360 B.C.E). The Brahmin’s poor neighbor seems to have no concern about reflecting on the world beyond what she already knows but is unable to even understand the question about her soul. Both philosophers seem to agree that those that have chosen not to think about philosophy are content with the world as they see or understand it. However, Socrates cave dwellers would appear to be concerned about a philosopher spoiling their practice of â€Å"conferring honours among themselves† by butting against what they know to be true where the Br ahmins neighbor might smile and nod as she continued upon her contented way (Plato, 360 B.C.E). Considering the challenges that Socrates faced in his life for engaging in philosophy and the discontent that the Brahmin has for having not obtained a definitive understanding of theShow MoreRelatedThe French Revolution Essay examples1018 Words   |  5 PagesThe French Revolution This essay intends to draw on the much similarity between the French Revolution and the age of antiquity, more specific Ancient Greece. We shall compare dominant figures of both the French Revolution and Ancient Greece by using examples from writings from both ancient literature and contemporary and giving direct examples to support the ideas in this essay. 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