Socrates Quotes

5th-century BCE Greek philosopher

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Socrates (Σωκράτης; c. 470 BC – 399 BC) was a classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. Through his portrayal in Plato's dialogues, Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics, and it is this Platonic Socrates who lends his name to the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic method, or elenchus. The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions, and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions is asked not only to draw individual answers, but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand.

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Native Name: Σωκράτης

Alternative Names: Sokrates • Sokratis

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Socrates: Shall we set down astronomy among the objects of study? Glaucon: I think so, to know something about the seasons, the months and the years is of use for military purposes, as well as for agriculture and for navigation. Socrates: It amuses me to see how afraid you are, lest the common herd of people should accuse you of recommending useless studies.

The state will only ever be a half of itself.

If we are to use women for the same things as the men, we must also teach them the same things.

Contentment is natural wealth; luxury, artificial poverty.

He [Socrates] would say that the rest of the world lived to eat, while he himself ate to live.

Socrates having heard Plato read the Lysis, said, "O Hercules! what a number of lies the young man has told about me." For he had set down a great many things as sayings of Socrates which he never said.

Those who want fewest things are nearest to the Gods.

He who drinks with the greatest appetite is the least inclined to look for a draught which is not at hand.

The man who eats with the greatest appetite has the least need of delicacies.

Often when looking at a mass of things for sale, he would say to himself, "How many things I have no need of!"

Ηe knew nothing except just the fact of his ignorance.

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.

I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.

It is the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: "None of your soft-mouthed, docile animals for me," he says; "the horse for me to own must show some spirit" in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides. And that is just my case. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. I know full well, if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach myself to every human being else.

Really, Ischomachus, I am disposed to ask: "Does teaching consist in putting questions?" Indeed, the secret of your system has just this instant dawned upon me. I seem to see the principle in which you put your questions. You lead me through the field of my own knowledge, and then by pointing out analogies to what I know, persuade me that I really know some things which hitherto, as I believed, I had no knowledge of.