Quotes by Socrates

...[Y]ou know very well the truth of what I [say]... I have incurred a great deal of bitter hostility; and this is what will bring about my destruction, if anything does... the slander and jealousy of a very large section of the people. They have been fatal to a great many other innocent men, and I suppose will continue to be so; there is no likelihood that they will stop at me. But perhaps someone will say Do you feel no compunction, Socrates, at having followed a line of action which puts you in danger of the death-penalty? I might fairly reply to him You are mistaken, my friend, if you think that a man who is worth anything ought to spend his time weighing up the prospects of life and death. He has only one thing to consider in performing any action; that is, whether he is acting rightly or wrongly, like a good man or a bad one...[] The truth of the matter is this, gentlemen. Where a man has once taken up his stand, either because it seems best to him or in obedience to his orders, there I believe he is bound to remain and face the danger, taking no account of death or anything else before dishonour.

Suppose... that you acquit me... Suppose that, in view of this, you said to me Socrates, on this occasion we shall disregard Anytus and acquit you, but only on one condition, that you give up spending your time on this quest and stop philosophizing. If we catch you going on in the same way, you shall be put to death. Well, supposing, as I said, that you should offer to acquit me on these terms, I should reply Gentlemen, I am your very grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a greater obedience to God than to you; and so long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet. I shall go on saying, in my usual way, My very good friend, you are an Athenian and belong to a city which is the greatest and most famous in the world for its wisdom and strength. Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and honour, and give no attention or thought to truth and understanding and the perfection of your soul? And if any of you disputes this and professes to care about these things, I shall not at once let him go or leave him; no, I shall question him and examine him and test him; and if it appears that in spite of his profession he has made no real progress towards goodness, I shall reprove him for neglecting what is of supreme importance, and giving his attention to trivialities. I shall do this to everyone that I meet, young or old, foreigner or fellow-citizen; but especially to you my fellow-citizens, inasmuch as you are closer to me in kinship. This, I do assure you, is what my God commands; and it is my belief that no greater good has ever befallen you in this city than my service to my God; for I spend all my time going about trying to persuade you, young and old, to make your first and chief concern not for your bodies nor for your possessions, but for the highest welfare of your souls, proclaiming as I go Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the State. ...And so, gentlemen, I would say, You can please yourselves whether you listen to Anytus or not, and whether you acquit me or not; you know that I am not going to alter my conduct, not even if I have to die a hundred deaths.

...[S]ome of the opinions which people entertain should be respected, and others should not.

One should never do wrong in return, nor mistreat any man, no matter how one has been mistreated by him.

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.

Be true to thine own self

I am convinced that I never wrong anyone intentionally...

How can you wonder your travels do you no good, when you carry yourself around with you?

wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state

Wealth does not bring about excellence, but excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively.

The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and i am no quite sure that i know that.

...[M]en are put in a sort of guard-post, from which one must not release ones self or run away...

The misuse of language induces evil in the soul

I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.

My friend...care for your psyche...know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves -Socrates

...I do not think that it is right for a man to appeal to the jury or to get himself acquitted by doing so; he ought to inform them of the facts and convince them by argument. The jury does not sit to dispense justice as a favour, but to decide where justice lies; and the oath which they have sworn is not to show favour at their own discretion, but to return a just and lawful verdict... Therefore you must not expect me, gentlemen, to behave towards you in a way which I consider neither reputable nor moral nor consistent with my religious duty.

...[F]rom me you shall hear the whole truth; not, I can assure you, gentlemen, in flowery language... decked out with fine words and phrases; no, what you will hear will be a straightforward speech in the first words that occur to me, confident as I am in the justice of my cause; and I do not want any of you to expect anything different.

Is it true; is it kind, or is it necessary?

We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.

...[T]he really important thing is not to live, but to live well... [a]nd to live well means the same thing as to live honourably or rightly...