Table of Contents

The Nature of Philosophy

The Value of Philosophy

Common Worries about Philosophy

• There are no right answers
• Philosophers only argue and disagree
• Everything seems subjective
• Difficult to understand
• Boring or impractical
• Irrelevant to everyday life

Possible Values of Philosophy

• Defended by two major traditions:
  • Philosophy as a way of life
  • Philosophy as a practice that instills intellectual virtues
  • Philosophy as contemplation of what is most valuable and fundamental

Guiding Hypothesis
Is philosophy itself the greatest gift to human beings?

• Socratic Hypothesis: yes — the resources to live philosophically are of higher value than wealth, power, or honor.

Socratic Wisdom

In The Apology, Socrates makes three central claims:

1. You should care for nothing more than the state of your soul (moral character).
2. Caring for your soul means aiming above all else to live and act well.
3. To live well requires knowledge — specifically:
   • what is valuable vs. worthless
   • what is to be welcomed vs. feared
   • how the world truly is
   • recognition of what one knows, and what one does not

What does Socratic wisdom consist in?

• Socrates: “Neither of us knows anything of great value; but he thinks he knows, when he does not, whereas I neither know it nor think that I do.”
• Contrast with others:
  • Politicians claim wisdom but lack depth.
  • Poets create inspired works but cannot explain them.
  • Craftsmen possess technical expertise but mistake it for universal wisdom.
• Socratic wisdom = recognition of ignorance + intellectual humility.

Key Lesson

• Skill in one domain ≠ wisdom in all domains.
• True wisdom avoids arrogance and begins with acknowledging what we do not know.

Value of a Philosophical Life

What is a philosophical life?

• A life of examination — of oneself and others.
• Thinking (alone and in dialogue) about truth, justice, beauty, wisdom, and the good life.

Socratic reflections in The Apology

• On Death:
  • To fear death is to assume knowledge we do not have.
  • “No one knows whether death may not prove the greatest of all blessings.”
• On Honor vs. Death:
  • Better to risk death than risk dishonor.
  • Dishonor corrupts one’s moral character, which is a greater loss.
• On Character:
  • The soul’s condition matters more than wealth or power.
  • “Are you not ashamed that you care for money and honor, but not for wisdom, truth, and the best state of your soul?”
  • Wealth is morally neutral; only the good person knows how to use it well.
  • The good person cannot be ultimately harmed by injustice.
    • “If you put to death the sort of man I say I am, you will not harm me more than yourselves.”
    • (Comparable to the story of Job: external misfortune cannot corrupt inner virtue.)
• On the Unexamined Life:
  • “The unexamined life is no life for a human being to live.”
  • Life without reflection = existence without meaning.

Reflection

Socrates insists that philosophy is the greatest gift — more valuable than wealth, honor, or even life itself. I’m not fully persuaded.

I understand why he elevates philosophy. Questioning assumptions, admitting what we don’t know, and reflecting on what really matters are practices that carry value far beyond the classroom. Socratic humility is a powerful antidote to arrogance, and philosophy gives language to concerns that otherwise remain vague or unspoken.

But is it the greatest gift? I hesitate.

Philosophy alone doesn’t grow food, heal illness, or create art. To say that dialogue and reflection outweigh all other human pursuits overlooks the ways other forms of knowledge and creativity shape a meaningful life. A person who spends their life in conversation may not live more fully than someone who dedicates themselves to caring for others or building something new.

I think the better way to put it is this: philosophy is not the greatest gift, but it is what lets us use our other gifts responsibly. Without philosophy, wealth and power can easily go astray; but without action, philosophy is essentially sterile.

So I’d would challenge Socrates here. The examined life matters — but so does the lived life, with its work and realationships. A life of reflection is valuable, but it reaches its highest form only when it is paired with action.

Then again it’s been a while since I’ve brushed up on philosophy. One of my favorite classes in high school was Political Philosophy, where we examined various terms that get thrown around a lot (like justice, freedom, power) through different lenses, both historical and modern. I remember being struck by how the same concepts could look completely different depending on the framework you applied — and how philosophy didn’t give me neat answers so much as better questions.