Dude, the population of Athens and it’s surrounding territory at the time was about 200k-250k people, a very sizable portion of which were foreigners who probably had a different primary language, and even more of which were slaves (like 1/3 to 1/2 of the entire population). Would be like talking about the wisest person in Dayton, Ohio 2500 years later in every philosophy textbook in the world becuase he realized it was better to say “I dunno” than to talk out of your ass.
The socratic method, which, as the name suggests, he did, is about asking probing questions to expose gaps or contradictions in their knowledge which reveal their ignorance. Both to themselves and oftentimes to other’s, as well. He didn’t stump them with his own knowledge. He only asked questions until they stumped themselves.
He found that wisdom was found in humility. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” That is what I paraphrased as “I dunno”. Understanding that you do not and cannot know all things is a core principle of his idea of wisdom and his methodology.
“Socrates was the wisest man in Athens.”
Dude, the population of Athens and it’s surrounding territory at the time was about 200k-250k people, a very sizable portion of which were foreigners who probably had a different primary language, and even more of which were slaves (like 1/3 to 1/2 of the entire population). Would be like talking about the wisest person in Dayton, Ohio 2500 years later in every philosophy textbook in the world becuase he realized it was better to say “I dunno” than to talk out of your ass.
If Plato is accurate then I don’t know if he didn’t talk out of his ass.
Much like another wise man.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know things. He specifically showed you how you didn’t know things you thought you did. That’s quiet different.
It’s literally still called “the Socratic method”. And it made the ancient Athenians so mad at Socrates they executed him.
If you manage to have things named after you a few thousand years from now by saying “I dunno”, I’ll raise my hat to you.
The socratic method, which, as the name suggests, he did, is about asking probing questions to expose gaps or contradictions in their knowledge which reveal their ignorance. Both to themselves and oftentimes to other’s, as well. He didn’t stump them with his own knowledge. He only asked questions until they stumped themselves.
He found that wisdom was found in humility. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” That is what I paraphrased as “I dunno”. Understanding that you do not and cannot know all things is a core principle of his idea of wisdom and his methodology.
“Only tasked questions”
Yeah and Einstein “only wrote some equations”?
The point is the questions he asked, just like the point is that E=mc^2 really isn’t as simple as it seems, but has a world of theory behind it.
Socrates knew to ask the right questions.