A man of wisdom and wonder, the Greek philosopher Socrates was born on this day in 469 B.C. and is considered one of the wisest thinkers of all time. Through honest dialogue and persistent questioning, he sought to uncover what was true and good in life.
“He is richest who is content with the least,” he taught.
A mentor to Plato and Aristippus, Socrates spent much of his life walking the Athenian marketplace, engaging fellow citizens in meaningful conversations. With bold intelligence, he challenged assumptions and questioned accepted beliefs.
“There is no illness of the body apart from the mind,” he once said, holding that knowledge was innate and that the mind could be understood as separate from the body.
He taught by inspiring others to think deeply. He posed a question, suggested a hypothesis, then tested and challenged it through thoughtful cross-examination, listening, and reflection. If no counter-example held, he accepted the conclusion. If not, he kept questioning.
Devoted to lifelong learning and logical inquiry, Socrates celebrated the word “Why?” He embraced the wisdom of the Oracle of Delphi’s sacred charge: “Know Thyself” (Gnothi Seauton).
“The unexamined life is not worth living,” he declared. Socrates celebrated knowledge and virtue. His dialogues on ethics, society, and human behavior formed the bedrock of Western philosophy.
With self-reflection, the soul awakes and rises.