At the heart of classical thought, Socrates is the father of ethics It represents a turning point. In front of a Athens Who was beginning to question his values, he suggested that virtue The issue was not a matter of habit or obedience, but rather a matter of knowledge. For him, understanding goodness was the only way to do goodness.
Explain that “There is only one virtue” Summarize a revolutionary idea because all virtues, from justice to wisdom, are born from the same source, namely wisdom. He said that he who knows what is good cannot do evil. Moral error does not arise from evil, but from ignorance, and can only be corrected by knowledge.
In the times that Sophists were paid to teach Rhetoric and argued that what was fair depended on context, Socrates He strongly objected. He emphasized that goodness does not change with changes in comfort or power. There is a moral truth that transcends opinions, and discovering it is the highest task of thought.
his way, Dialoguewas his tool to reach this truth. He asked without imposing, directing the others to think. That way of teaching – “Myotex”– It consists in helping each person to “birth” his own ideas. Thus knowledge was born, not as an accumulation of data, but as an internal understanding.
The impact of that teaching Socrates It was decisive. Before him, morality was seen as an inheritance from tradition or from the gods. After that, it became a rational exercise, a research based on thought and not matter. with Socrates, Ethics ceased to be a habit and became a responsibility.
His influence extended to his students and, above all, to… PlatoWho turned his personality into a model of a philosopher who dies loyal to his principles. But beyond the legend, Socrates He left a warning because no one can be virtuous without knowing himself.
In a A world saturated with information and stimuliHis message seems more important than ever. It is not enough to know what is right and wrong out of habit or fear of punishment; The main thing is to understand why. the virtueHe said that it is born of understanding and is supported by coherence between thought and action.
By saying that “There is only one virtue“, Socrates He did not deny the diversity of values, but rather recognized their common roots. Justice, moderation, and courage are different manifestations of the same thing wisdom. That’s why he was called the father of ethics because he taught that Goodness is not a matter of luck, but of understanding.
This conviction led him to death. Convicted of corrupting the youth, he chose to drink hemlock rather than betray his ideas. to SocratesTo live without virtue—without making an effort to know and do good—was worse than death.