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Question: I am writing a philosophy essay on Socrates and I am having trouble please help!?
Socrates claims to know nothing, and adds that this is a kind of wisdom that sets him apart from
other people!. But there are a number of instances in the Apology and Crito in which he seems to be
making certain knowledge claims!. First, elaborate what you think are Socrates’ main claims to
knowledge (focus on two or three main ones)!. Second, determine whether these claims really do
undermine his thesis that he knows nothing!. Can his claim of wisdom be defended!? If so, show
how; if not, show why not!. In light of your discussion, can Socrates’ life still be considered a lesson!? please help me find instances where he makes knowledge claims which could be contradictory to his 'i know nothing statement' Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
This is a really hard question!. I think the place to start with is what he claims in the Crito, without looking at the text - he claims to know that trying to escape is unjust, that he must obey the laws!.
Now what you need to do is look closely at that, and see if he is making a wise choice!. If he is, then and only then can one go back and see how this stacks up with "knowledge of ignorance," which is really what your teacher means by "know nothing" (notice that to know how people can be ignorant would be the supreme knowledge - knowledge of how things can go wrong and what people are capable of)!.
I'm linking to a commentary on the Crito below, but my advice is just talk about the texts out loud before going into them and digging for quotes!. This is a hard question, good luck with it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com