e to Protagoras' question of why mankind commits acts that are ultimately harmful, such as smoking or excessive drinking(165). Aristotle believed that this was because of a weak moral habit("N.E." 411). However, Socrates did not believe in Aristotle's famous Akrasia thesis, Socrates believed that no passion or pleasure could possibly overcome the omnipotent knowledge("Prot. 141"). During the famed dialogue, Protagoras raised an obvious question when he asked why people will continue to smoke although they know it will cause them pain(143). In order to keep from refuting his argument, Socrates explained his Art of Measurement. Socrates declared that the only reason mankind does such harmful things such as smoking is that they simply have no way to measure the immediate pleasure of smoking against the distant pain of the cancer of other disease that smoking causes(144). Socrates said simply that these people have a flawed sense of measurement due to the dark cave they dwell in("Prot." 144). Without this art, the essence of wisdom, one cannot accurately weigh pleasure versus pain and one cannot achieve final pleasure...Eudaimonia. The first step in achieving wisdom is the quest for self-knowledge, the quote on the base of the oracle's statue at Delphi, "Know Thyself"(Friedlander 5). This was the identity that Oedipus was seeking. According to Socrates, the only way to achieve knowledge in general was though the use of inquiry("Apology" 210) . Socrates practiced inquiry throughout his entire life. He started this practice when an oracle of Apollo told him that no one was wiser than he("Apology" 215). In either modesty or disbelieve, Socrates led most of his life questioning others trying to find someone wiser than he. However, although he learned a great deal through his questioning, Socrates discovered only that not one person, philosopher or sophist was truly 4wise because Socrates would reveal their self-contradictions("Apo...
