Socrates about happiness

Know thyself

• Self-knowledge is sufficient condition for good life.

• Socrates identified knowledge with virtue. • If knowledge can be learned, so can virtue. • Thus, virtue can be taught.• The unexamined life is not worth living. • One must seek knowledge and wisdom before

private interests. • Knowledge is sought as a means to ethical action.

Happiness and virtue

• Our true happiness is promoted by doing what is right.

• When your true utility is served (tending your soul), you are achieving happiness. Happiness is evident from the long-term effect on the soul.

The Socratic Paradox

• People act immorally, but they do not do so deliberately• Everyone seeks what is most serviceable to oneself or what is

in one's own self-interest.• If one [practically] knows what is good, one will always act in

such manner as to achieve it. (Otherwise, one does not know or only knows in a theoretical fashion.)

• If one acts in a manner not conducive to ones good, then that person must have been mistaken (i.e., that person lacks the knowledge of how to obtain what was serviceable in that instance).

• If one acts with knowledge then one will obtain that which is serviceable to oneself or that which is in ones self-interest.

We are responsible for our own happiness

• Thus, for Socrates…• knowledge = [def.] virtue, good, arete• ignorance = [def.] bad, evil, not useful• Since no one knowingly harms himself, if harm comes to that

person, then that person must have acted in ignorance.• Consequently, it would seem to follow we are responsible for what

we know or for that matter what we do not know. So, then, one is responsible for ones own happiness.

• The essential aspect of understanding the Paradox is to realize that Socrates is referring to the good of the soul in terms of knowledge and doing what's right—not to wealth or freedom from physical pain. The latter play no role in the soul being centered.

No one chooses evil or chooses to act in ignorance

• We seek the good, but fail to achieve it by ignorance or lack of knowledge as to how to obtain it.

• No one would harm themselves. When harm comes to us, we thought we were seeking the good, but we lacked knowledge.