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Philosophy Exercise

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Philosophy Exercise
Introduction and Thesis
Introduction
Society adopts measurements and competitive tests to assess wisdom, but there is a
continuum of wisdom and foolishness. One could be wiser and less foolish, but none can claim
perfect wisdom or perfect foolishness. Socrates summarizes this in his proposition on the right
approach to wisdom. One should acknowledge that they possess inadequate wisdom.
Thesis
Acknowledging one's limitation is an opportunity to evaluate one's wisdom and growth,
but this must be compared among and against humans.
Premises Supporting the Thesis
My thesis is based on three observations. First, Socrates had a humble approach to the
wisdom that allows one to learn from others and challenge what is perceived as established
wisdom (Garvin, 2013). Secondly, categorizing wisdom is an important element and shows that
Socrates elevated higher wisdom and warned against elevating human wisdom. Finally, Socrates
famously observed that wisdom was contingent on one’s ability to recognize the limits of their
understanding and knowledge.
The Reason That Needs the Most Support
Socrates' argument that human wisdom is limited should obtain the most support. First,
he compares human wisdom and the gods showing that human wisdom is inferior (Garvin,
2013). The comparison shows weaknesses in human wisdom and the need for improvement,
carefulness, or comparison to avoid an error. He references the god of Delphi as a superior and
wiser being. However, Socrates should use the analogy as a comparative or symbolic application.

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His focus should be on human beings and use the god of Delphi to show that there is superior
and inferior wisdom. Moreover, Socrates asserts that the gentlemen of Delphi acknowledged him
as wiser, thereby elevating him as a higher intelligent being (Garvin, 2013). Moreover, his
endeavor to find a wiser person failed. All his subjects claimed higher wisdom than they
possessed, while Socrates acknowledged that he was neither wiser nor foolish. Therefore,
emphasis is necessary for demonstrating that pure, higher, and sincere wisdom acknowledges
that one should grow in wisdom and acknowledge their weakness. Socrates should emphasize the
reaction of his subjects and not the gods of Delphi’s opinion of his wisdom since he is supporting
his premise that true wisdom is in acknowledging limitations.
The main Objection To My Argument
One could challenge the thesis on several bases. Socrates refers to the wisdom of the gods
as supreme and perfect. However, this argument poses a significant threat to my premise.
Notably, is it a mistake to be human and wise as a human? Socrates should acknowledge that
human beings are intelligent beings in the capacity. They developed civilizations, including the
Hellenistic and the romantic civilizations. Human beings have prospered in technology, culture,
economy, governance, and other attributes. Therefore, it is presumptuous to discredit human
wisdom. Secondly, divine wisdom is different from Human wisdom. Notably, this position does
not argue the superiority of human or divine wisdom. However, it highlights the two pearls of
wisdom's different classes. Moreover, it is illogical to compare the two. Socrates should compare
human and human wisdom to be fair in his comparison.
Human beings can become intelligent and wise in their right as mortals, and gods can
become wise in their lofty status as gods. Thirdly, Socrates applies an unfair standard. He
presumes himself wise than peers using an unfair scale. He has not tested his subjects

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extensively, making his findings pseudoscientific. He lacks saturated data on each subject.
Therefore, it is inappropriate to claim wisdom above others while he has not tested them
extensively on all subjects. Moreover, Socrates alludes to the gods as wise, which creates a
dilemma for the non-believers. People have different gods and religious creeds; whose god has
the right knowledge? He opens up an eternal challenge to his premise and contention among
scholars of a different faith. Finally, it is blasphemous that Socrates claims he is wise than his
peers when only the gods possess true wisdom. The arguments weakness the thesis and
challenges Socrates' claim. Socrates should have developed his argument free from the gods. He
should have demonstrated that a single person cannot hold all wisdom and that people need each
other to discover, improve, and correct knowledge and wisdom.
Response to The Objections
One cannot overthrow Socrates’ reasoning in its entirety. First, Socrates’s argument is on
principle and not content. He proposes the development of a learning attitude that can cherish
correction, learning, and development. Socrates did not find humility in his opponents. They
claimed to possess wisdom yet boasted and manifested no need to continue learning, receive
correction, or revise their position. Socrates is justified in acknowledging the inherent weakness
and limitation in human wisdom as a reason to accept one’s lack of full wisdom. Secondly,
Socrates’ position has a symbolic meaning. The gods represent a higher source of wisdom as the
originators of life. They have a wisdom and understanding of nature’s operations that human
beings lack. They signify someone in higher wisdom or authority in a subject. People become
wiser by acknowledging they lack full knowledge and consult with others to develop a balanced
perspective of their thoughts. Therefore, Socrates promotes collaboration, shared knowledge, and

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humility in learning from each other. Adopting this principle promotes progressiveness and
internal correction mechanisms in creating pure and elevating knowledge.
Conclusion
Socrates’ test of wisdom is logical, humble, and consistent with his practice. He is titled
the wisest by the gods of Delphi, but this creates a dilemma for modern scholars in assessing the
truthfulness and reliability of the gods' statement. The gods of Delphi represent a fraction of
religious beliefs who might have a different opinion on Socrates’ wisdom. Nevertheless, his
premise that true wisdom consists of acknowledging one’s limitation is consistent with the nature
of knowledge and wisdom. The two are progressive, and old wisdom could become foolish
sooner than expected. Therefore, acknowledging one's limitation is an opportunity to evaluate
one's wisdom and growth; but this mu...