“I say that it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living” (Apology 38a). With this challenge, Socrates sets moral philosophy, as we understand it, in motion. For the first time, it is not good enough for a man to merely understand and examine the universe that surrounds him. Now, a man must also understand and examine the universe that dwells within his own soul. The soul is the major focus of Socrates' philosophy – “Make your first and chief concern not for your bodies or for your possessions, but for the highest welfare of your souls” (Apology 30b) – and therefore it is only natural that he would be among the first to be attentive to the soul's condition. For him, the goal of life is to find “virtue” and “the good” in order to improve the soul, and then act in accordance with these findings.

In the Apology, we find Socrates living out his own philosophy to the fullest. Not only does he frequently engage the jury in philosophical inquiry, but he also acts on his philosophical principles. This becomes exceptionally clear right before Socrates ends his final speech. He has been condemned to die; yet we find him still philosophizing with the jury and with himself. This determination and sincereness, even in the face of demise, provides us with a perfect reflection on the way one should lead one's life according to Socrates. For instance, he reflects: “There is good hope that death is a blessing, for it is one of two things: either the dead are nothing and have no perception, or it is, as we are told, a change and a relocating of the soul from here to another place” (Apology 40c). As we can see, he philosophizes to the end and keeps examining, opening up new doors of possibility. In another instance, Socrates upholds his belief in 'justice'. Near the end of his first speech, he refuses to use his children as a bargaining chip, saying, and “I will not beg you to acquit me by bringing them here” (Apology 34d). He also refuses to supplicate himself to the jury, but instead leaves the decision of the jury to 'justice', the virtue of 'justice'. Socrates, as he puts it, would rather “instruct” the jury on the ways of “justice” than convince them to acquit him by other means. This is being a good philosopher and living the philosophical life, for Socrates is examining both himself and the jury's conception of what is 'just' versus 'unjust'; he is trying to be acquitted not through coercion, but through teaching.

We also see the philosophical spirit in the Meno. The Meno, on the surface, might appear to be a dialogue solely devoted to the question of 'virtue' and whether it can be taught; however, this is being shortsighted. Rather, the Meno is a dialogue with an eclectic taste, covering a number of topics from the recollection of knowledge to whether virtue is equal to justice. What makes the Meno stand out is its diversity of explorations. It is this eclecticism that Socrates lauds when he says that we should be conversing on many topics, everyday, in order to understand ourselves. We should be examining each possibility and every contention even if an agreement or conclusion cannot be reached. The Meno teaches us that it is the back and forth conversing and argumentation that makes for an examined life. It is the lengthy dialectical conversation between Socrates and Meno in this dialogue that makes for the examined life. This is precisely what Socrates means when he says, “You will hear me conversing and testing myself and others” (Apology 38a).

In the Gorgias we delve deeper into what constitutes the examined life. Socrates here makes the distinction between rhetoric and truth, and by way of analogy, the unexamined versus the examined life. By rhetoric he means a fancy, convincing way of talking that bears a likeness to truth, but is patently false; it is irrational. By truth he means what the highest, noblest of intellectual endeavors, mostly philosophy, all aim for; it is rational. The difference between the two is striking - rhetoric is the reflection of the truth and truth is pure, unchanging form of knowledge. To Socrates, an unexamined life is merely rhetorical in value; it is a passing fancy. He compares it to pleasure, or the 'pleasant': “Some activities were concerned solely with pleasure, procured this only, and paid no attention to what might be better or worse” (Gorgias 500a). This is the unexamined life. On the other hand, the examined life is preoccupied with the 'good', which is what all activities should aim for (Gorgias 507c). These people, the people who live examined lives, “recognized good and evil” and “possessed an art” (Gorgias 500b). Then Socrates asks generally, “What is the difference between the two of them?” (Gorgias 500c). The answer is clear. The examined life is concerned with the quest for the 'good' and eventual contemplation of the 'good'. The unexamined life is always preoccupied with the mask of “truth”, never the kernel of things.

Socrates also gives us an excellent glimpse into what he considers to be the philosophical life in section 507 - 508 of the Gorgias. Here Socrates discusses what makes a man happy and content and what actions a man must follow through with in order to live a full, examined life. He states that anyone who wishes to be happy must first practice self-control and flee from profligacy. Man should strive to be just; and, if we commit an aberration, we should submit to proper justice and punishment. But most importantly for our discussion, Socrates couples the examined, happy life with friendship and sharing.

“Such a man could not be on friendly terms with any other man, nor with God, for he would be incapable of sharing; and where there is no sharing, there can be no friendship. Wise men say … that heaven and earth, gods and men, are held together by the principles of sharing, by friendship and order, by self-control and justice; that … is the reason they call the universe “cosmos” (507e-508a).

It might seem commonsensical, but without friendship and the trust that accompanies friendship, the truth cannot be reached through conversation. For Socrates, friendship is a vehicle to finding the truth and order of things.

What is the examined life to Socrates? It is fair to say that the examined life is a life immersed in conversation, both with others and with oneself. Moreover, it is a struggle. This is exemplified best in the Apology. Socrates, even in a moment of great despair and tribulation, follows through and maintains his philosophical demeanor. He leads his life, all the way to the end, in line with his philosophy and its principles, never wavering and always questioning. What we learn from the Gorgias is that the examined life is a life spent questing for the “good”. The examined life is preoccupied with the “truth” and “goodness” of things. For in this way, a person can come to decipher what is good and what is evil and make proper decisions. Without proper instruction, without self-control, man will always fall into the abyss of persuasion and pleasure, which leads one away from what is the examined life. We must aim otherwise. For, according to Socrates, the examined life is a life whereby one is in constant, coherent dialogue both with others and with oneself concerning the meaning and truth of terms like 'virtue' and the 'good' in order to find their respective values. Furthermore, the examined life is a life of action, meaning it is about the “way one should lead one's life” (Gorgias 500c; my emphasis).

Works Cited

Plato. Five Dialogues. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1981.

Plato. Gorgias. Indianapolis: Library of Liberal Arts, 1976.