The famous words of Socrates are familiar to many. His life's message, his core belief- that if you don't search for the truth, if you don't examine in life, it is worthless. If we don't seek to look beyond mere shadows to see the light creating them, we are wasting our lives. The unexamined life is not worth living.
It's hard to disagree with a man so intelligent, dedicated, and renowned. Socrates devoted his entire life and even death to philosophy, whereas I just completed my eleventh day in a high school introductory class. And yet I'm a little uneasy with this phrase. While for the most part it makes sense- that we are not truly living unless we examine and seek the truth- I still feel like there are some unexamined lives that are worth living, and likewise examined lives that aren't.
The wordage is harsh- "not worth living." I think of it more as making good use of your existence or not. And therein lies the question humans have wrestled with for its entirety: what constitutes making good use of your existence? To Socrates, according to this statement, seeking the light of truth makes good use of your existence. But is that the only component?
In this young, 11-day old philosopher's opinion, it does not. What I think constitutes good use of your existence is something far more important: bringing that light of truth to others. Thus, there are those who seek out the light, who examine their lives, and enjoy their discoveries with themselves. They die, not shedding a single photon of that light onto others. What a tragic waste. And at the same time, there are those who go their whole lives without seeing the light, yet make do with what they do know to be true. They help others, and although they don't see the full intensity of the light, they give to others what light they do have.
I therefore think it unfair to deem all those who find the light as "worth living," and all those who don't as "worthless." Much more important than what you know is what you do, for knowledge isn't power unless used properly.
Socrates may have overlooked this simple concept because he assumed it to be true. He went his whole life, not only examining and seeking the light, but spreading the light onto others. He definitely lived a life worth living, and the obligation to share his discoveries with others came so naturally to him that he probably overlooked its importance. I could indeed be wrong, Socrates was a brilliant man. But I'm not sure that I can so easily accept the generalization that, no matter what, all unexamined lives are not worth living. Indeed, it is the actions you do with the light that are far more impacting and worthy than seeking the light itself.
Wow I thought this was beautifully written and very insightful. I partially agree with your idea that its not the unexamined life that is not worth living, but the life that shares ideas and logic and light with other lives is one that is worth living. As you said, knowledge is power, but not without other enlightened people to give the power.
ReplyDelete