Socrates’ Theory Of Wisdom In Relation To The Downfall Of Oedipus

Wisdom is defined as the ability to think and make good judgment. In other words, wisdom is the quality of being wise. Wisdom is a great thing, always resulting in awareness. Genuine astuteness originates from knowing the enormous aspect of things throughout everyday life. To end up astute, one must integrate the known to what seems to be unclear. Socrates' comprehension of shrewdness originated from his background and utilizing his comprehension of intelligence. By contrast, it is clear how Oedipus'-hubris drives him to his ruin. Furthermore, Socrates' consciousness with human understanding and its restrictions, and perceiving his own numbness, made him more astute. However, in Sophocles Oedipus' severe arrogance is described as questionable. It is either his over the top pride, fearlessness or his anger that blinds him from seeing his destiny. Both of those components can be utilized to dissect Socrates' idea of wisdom; an overabundance of information can be blinded to man particularly in the event that he is ignorant of his limitations. In this essay I will introduce Socrates’ theory of wisdom and use it to explain the downfall of Oedipus.

Socrates is portrayed as a philosopher who committed his life to learning; he surrenders everything to look for information. He needed to test the Oracles. Since he knew he had no specific intelligence he came up to the end that, individuals who guarantee to intelligence didn't know anything by any stretch of the imagination. The people of Athens brought charges against him; he was blamed for atheism and ruining the psyche of the young. He was discovered blameworthy and was given a decision: either banishment or drink a savage segment of the toxic plant hemlock. He was condemned to death to quiet his intelligence, not on the grounds that he was liable. He picked death over being outcast; getting away from his destiny would be his very own infringement, he reasoned, and he would not hold his integrity.

Additionally, Socrates’ understanding of shrewdness uncovers that human knowledge is constrained, yet realizing that just influences him to seem smarter to people in general. He comprehended impediment, and that no one but God can have the type of knowledge he is advised to have. Socrates says, “If you ask me what kind of wisdom, I reply such as may perhaps be attained by man for that extend I am inclined to believe that I’m wise whereas the person of whom I was speaking have a superhuman wisdom which I may fail to describe because I have not myself” (562). The essentialness of this statement implies that insight originate from men and not from superhuman powers. Human learning ought to incorporate certain impediments and there ought to be a refinement between astuteness that depends on human experience. His insight is based to what the standard man contains, it proposes lowliness decisively on the grounds that it emerge out of human encounters. In addition, Socrates was worried to find out about the world, so he initially considered his environment. He set aside opportunity to find out about himself and the universe. By doing as such he found things that people were ignorant of. Through his experience he could identify an essential mistake from the wisest man. Constricted by their authority with respect to one field, they confused halfway information with the whole. Socrates states, “For they did know many things of which I was ignorant and in this they certainly were wiser than I was. But I observed that even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets”. This quote demonstrates that, those who believe they know everything are to be sure the most unmindful on the grounds that being a specialist on one field doesn't mean you know everything. Socrates shows it is better to act naturally, as opposed to being inflated by a misguided feeling of awesome knowledge due to control.

Human comprehension of reality must be approximated. The individual is torn between hallucination and reality. They are living in a virtual reality. Socrates’ estimation of what he knows isn't sufficient. His comprehension of self-information and his examinations of mankind can be viewed as endeavor to go to his very own superior comprehension of nature. Socrates says “I am in want, and he has enough; and he only gives you the appearance of happiness, and I give you the reality. And if I am to estimate the penalty fairly, I should say that maintenance in the Prytaneum is the just return”. This quote posit that humans achieve restraint when they achieve control, which anticipate them to have the anger of knowing. Power substitute them for truth or astuteness, they have an absence of devotion however. Socrates dedicated all his times to the quest for learning; since he needs more information he wants to know more. He comprehends the idea of God implying that he opens himself to and obscure God. His perspective of the truth is not quite the same as others; his real is inexact, he understands it's difficult to totalize the genuine. Human figment is caused by their hubris.

By contrast, Oedipus' wisdom is based on arrogance and constraint, but he is unconscious of the obstacle. His hubris tricks him into trusting that he thoroughly understands his destiny, and never had the uncertainty that he could be the reason for the torment attacking Thebes. Despite the fact that Tiresias is attempting to drives him to the correct way, he declines to acknowledge Tiresias’ derived and he leans toward his very own adaptation of the obscure. He remains unaware of his hubris. Tiresias points out to Oedipus, “Since you have thrown my blindness at me I will tell you what your eyes don’t see, what evil you are stepped in”. This quote is emphasis that unreasonable power and specialist can be a reason for disappointment. Oedipus has scrutinized Teresa’s' abilities, and hoisted his insight and aptitudes to the level of a prophet. In spite of the fact that Tiresias was visually impaired, Oedipus was visually impaired himself; his inner self declines him to acknowledge reality. Being the best made it unimaginable for him to be in such circumstance, being viewing by a visually impaired prophet is basically undermining his insight. Oedipus' exorbitant pride cause him to be significantly more oblivious than he could have ever envisioned.

Throughout everyday life, nobody can get away from their predetermination. What is intended to be will dependably be regardless of what steps taking to stay away from it; individuals got the opportunity to confront the truth and acknowledge their fate. The prophecy starts when Oedipus unknowingly slaughters his father and weds his mother. He endeavors to keep away from the prediction by expelling Tiresias’ insight. He trusts that he could get away from his destiny when stood up to with the torment whose reason is obscure. According to Tiresias, “A violent will [hubris] father of the tyrant and violence drunk on wealth and power does him no good, he scales the heights until he’s thrown down to his doom where quick feet are no use fate”. This quote indicates how some people will face their destiny; everything in life can't be the way they intend to be. What he knows cannot enable him to get away from his destiny; he endeavors to his predetermination by utilizing rationale yet comes up short. Contrasted with Socrates' learning he isn't modest. Oedipus has never looked for intelligence or self-information. Oedipus’ pride drives him to all sort of suspicion, well past the extent of what he knows.

To conclude, the two men demonstrate distinctive sort of wisdom to beat problem in regard to their destiny and the action making by them to prevented. Plus, Socrates knows the results of his knowledge, he satisfies his wants, and acknowledge his destiny. He stays dedicated to his reasoning. While Oedipus encounters intelligence through his looking for of information and, he battles to get away from his destiny as he fails to unknown. The desire of knowledge of reality drives him to his ambition. This is to demonstrate that Socrates’ insight helps understanding the points of interest and specificity of Oedipus’ hubris.

15 July 2020
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