Socrates
Athenian philosopher (469 to 399 BCE) who wrote nothing; his words survive second-hand, chiefly in Plato's dialogues; tried and executed by the Athenian democracy on a charge of irreverence toward the gods.
Socrates did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsSo I left him, saying to myself, as I went away: Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is,—for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows; I neither know nor think that I know.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 1st of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsYou have put this into the indictment because you had nothing real of which to accuse me. But no one who has a particle of understanding will ever be convinced by you that the same men can believe in divine and superhuman things, and yet not believe that there are gods and demigods and heroes.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 2nd of 8 in this piece
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Our reading
Fearing death is a pretence of wisdom; no one knows whether death may be the greatest good
Their wordsFor the fear of death is indeed the pretence of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretence of knowing the unknown; and no one knows whether death, which men in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 3rd of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsI tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 4th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsNothing will injure me, not Meletus nor yet Anytus—they cannot, for a bad man is not permitted to injure a better than himself.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 5th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsAnd do not be offended at my telling you the truth: for the truth is, that no man who goes to war with you or any other multitude, honestly striving against the many lawless and unrighteous deeds which are done in a state, will save his life; he who will fight for the right, if he would live even for a brief space, must have a private station and not a public one.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 6th of 8 in this piece
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Our reading
Discussing virtue daily is the greatest good, and the unexamined life is not worth living
Their wordsFor if I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me. Yet I say what is true, although a thing of which it is hard for me to persuade you.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 7th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsWherefore, O judges, be of good cheer about death, and know of a certainty, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.
↗Apology, Plato's account of his defence (tr. Benjamin Jowett, 1871)gutenberg.org 8th of 8 in this piece
The line under a date fills as the words age, a quarter at a time: past a month, six months, a year, and three years. Empty means said within the last month; full, more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
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