Author:
Helen Garcia
Date Of Creation:
19 April 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Socrates is considered the first prominent Western philosopher alongside his student Plato. Socrates lived an ordinary life in Athens, and after being a bricklayer and a soldier, Socrates became a philosopher.Socrates invented the method of questions, which aims to rid people of ignorance by asking questions that lead to contradictions in views; but Socrates failed and was executed in 399 BC at the age of 71.
Steps
1 Start reading Plato's dialogues. Dialogues contrast Socrates with famous Athenians, sophists, politicians, poets and sages. These dialogues will teach you a lot; start with the early works of Socrates such as And he, Equality, and Dead... In the early dialogues, the presentation is the same. Socrates asks questions to the respondents, and sometimes to experts and sophists, trying to define the concepts of friendship, courage, self-control and others. Socrates then proposes an answer to a series of questions so that the respondents assess the veracity of the definition. Socrates usually wins the argument by forcing the respondents to reflect on the concepts of valor and morality, illustrating how their assumptions lead to contradiction. But even earlier dialogues remain unresolved. 
2 Don't change your life dramatically. Try to do this gradually. Changing right away will hurt your body and make it harder for you to succeed. To be successful, you must do everything gradually, so develop the power of opposition before breaking old habits. You don't have to give up everything; you just need to live a simple life, although if you want to be like Socrates, then you have to give up everything - Wear plain clothes.
- Eat simply.
- Don't waste your money on material things.
3 Follow the principles and ideas of Socrates. His method of considering questions should be the foundation of your beliefs. His method is based on a simple scheme. Socrates asks someone a question, for example, "What is holiness?" The interviewee then gives a common answer to the question. Socrates asks a question that can be answered yes or no. Using this method, Socrates showed the irrationality or contradictory thinking of people. Thus, Socrates tried to rein in arrogant people and make them think about their views. To learn more about this method, read the article "How to Argument Using the Socratic Method?" - Doubt everything.
- You can't just take everything on faith or do something just because someone told you to do it.
- All knowledge consists of different types of knowledge, so you must find fundamental axioms or rules that do not require proof. Socrates tried to destroy the "views" of people and reduce them to axioms, so that you can say that you know something, and not just believe in it.
4 If you really want to live like Socrates, you must fully devote yourself to philosophy and the search for truth. Socrates renounced his job and devoted himself to teaching other people. This can be difficult in today's environment, but it is not impossible at all. - You should ask someone you meet if he wants to answer philosophical questions.
- Like Socrates, you must argue that the human response is on shaky ground.
5 Make sure you argue with others in a public place. This is necessary in order for many people to see you. Socrates used his method in public to teach others to see their mistakes. It is best to argue with arrogant people by proving that they are wrong. 
6 Never be afraid to voice your opinion, especially if it is based on truth. Even if you become a renegade and hate you, you must be clear about the truth. Fear is not inherent in philosophers, and a true philosopher does not follow the majority when they do evil. This is the Socratic principle. Although he was laughed at in Athens, his teachings later became the basis for other philosophies. 
7 Never fear death. Socrates once said that "death is possibly the greatest human blessing." Socrates believed in life after death and often described scenes from the Kingdom of Heaven with allegorical and dual meanings. If you are an atheist, then Socrates' philosophy of metaphysical phenomena includes this as well.Just remember that death is getting rid of everything evil and painful for the sake of eternal rest. 
8 Show humility. As a philosopher, you will have to face the hate of people who turn out to be wrong. Socrates' philosophy is based on the proof that each of the people is wrong about something. If you practice humility, you will get many followers who will be attracted by your stoic calmness and inner strength. Your philosophy should be based on this. You must be respectful to people who will not tolerate controversy over their views. 
9 Remember the paradoxes of Socrates. They include: - Nobody wants evil.
- No one makes mistakes of their own accord.
- The greatest virtue is knowledge (for example, knowledge of good and evil)
- Valor is enough to be happy.
- The phrase "the Socratic paradox" usually refers to the "I know I know nothing" paradox. Socrates believed that the first step to wisdom is the realization that a person knows nothing; if you want to become a philosopher, you must know that you know nothing.
10 Follow your principles even in the face of death; so Socrates did, as described in Phaedone. Socrates never showed fear that he was accused of anything, and even refused to escape from prison when he got the chance. He believed that this would destroy social contact with people, and everyone would think that he was afraid of death. 
11 Make sure you “know yourself”. This is much more complicated than it sounds. You must be able to appreciate your life. No one will help you with this. 
12 Meet famous or influential people. Use the Socratic Method to show people who think they know a lot that they don't. This will help you gain experience. If you argue with a professor at Oxford University who gives lectures on ethics, you will feel like you are moving forward. In fact, Socrates argued with people who considered themselves wise, as well as ordinary Athenians. There was also an oracle who considered Socrates the wisest man. Socrates tried to argue with the oracle, but he did not succeed. He concluded that he is wise, because he knows that he knows nothing, and many people who are considered wise, in fact, are not. 
13 Remember that truth is the most important element of philosophy, and you must do everything to find the truth. The Socratic method will help you with this. Only by having knowledge of good and evil can you become wise. The Socratic paradox is that the greatest virtue is knowledge of good and evil.
Tips
- Follow your principles at all times, and even if you are wrong, read quotes and excerpts from the philosophical works of Plato; Franklin is another good philosopher.
Warnings
- You may feel lonely, bear grudges, and even put your life in danger, especially if you argue with influential people or point out to ordinary people their mistakes. Socrates told the people of Athens: “The best people are you, the inhabitants of Athens, the greatest of cities, known for your wisdom and power; you are not ashamed of being rich, but also do not strive for the perfection of your soul. "
What do you need
- Copies of Socrates texts (books, e-books or texts on the Internet)
- Simple clothes and simple food
