Socrates’ legacy on wisdom can be summarized in his following famous phrases:
- “I only know that I know nothing” : This famous phrase was attributed to Socrates, and it is one of the quotes that describe Socratic wisdom in a few words. It is actually believed to come from the works of Plato, who interpreted the teachings of Socrates. However, its exact origin is not clear. This phrase is also related to other Socrates quotes about wisdom. An example of the application of the meaning of this phrase can be seen in another quote, in which Socrates supposedly says that “to fear death is to think that we know what we do not know.” With this he intends to resume the idea that it is necessary to take into account that we know nothing about death, therefore it is useless to fear it.
- “I don’t think I know what I don’t know” : This is another of the similar phrases attributed to Socrates. With it, Socrates tries to explain that he does not claim to have the knowledge of a scholar on subjects that he has not studied. That is, he asserts that he does not make any false claim to knowledge of him.
With these and other expressions, he revealed his ignorance on issues that were beyond his knowledge. At the same time, he affirmed his wisdom over others.
As a conclusion, we can say that Socratic wisdom seeks to question and reflect on the knowledge that we believe to be safe in order to really achieve wisdom . Due to this, Socratic thought has been of vital importance throughout history and continues to be so today, especially in the development of different scientific disciplines.
Bibliography
- Plato. Apology of Socrates . (2014). Argentina. colihue.
- González, R. Know Thyself: The Word of Socrates . (2015). Spain. CreateSpace.
- Blain, C.; Sfar, J. Socrates . (2018). Spain. Fulgencio Pimentel.
