ussions of the real Socrates were exclusively concerned with how one ought to live. They were mostly about the virtues, of which there were conventionally held to be five: courage, moderation, piety, wisdom and justice. (p. 22-23)In these discussions Socrates would employ what is now known as the Socratic method (in his honor). Instead of lecturing his students, he would invite them to consider the question with him, which was proven to be much more effective because this method is still practiced to this day. The goal was not for Socrates to teach his students what he thought of the various subjects but rather to teach them to think critically about the subjects for themselves. Very often this involved ways of asking one of his followers for the meaning of some concept such as piety, morality, or something similar. Socrates and the other students then subjected that definition to analysis and criticism. Sometimes these exercises were used simply to find an agreed-upon meaning for some term. Most often, however, these discussions were used to show that the common definition or understanding of the term was inconsistent or disputable. He knew that there was no precise answer to his questions and was not trying to persuade people into believing his propositions:Quite the contrary, in fact, for he was forever insisting on his own uncertainty and tentativeness of his inquiriesBut he does not really aim to do that anyway because he is not absolutely sure that his theory is right and, besides, people must find their own way to the truth of such matters. (p. 29)Like many philosophers alive in his time, it was Socrates belief that virtue could only be attained through examination. Only through exploration can you really understand what virtue is, and begin to act virtuously. By questioning students about really comprehending virtue and religion, Socrates finds out that no one truly understands and/or can define the questions he inquires. His re...
