The Political Philosophy of Socrates

Abstract

Socrates had not separated philosophy and polity, that have done afterwards
Plato and Aristotle. They both have initiated the tradition of the western political
thought. The essence of the philosophy of Socrates is the unit of the thinking and
activity, in other words, agreement of philosophy and politics. The main notion
is a dialogue (dialeghestai – talking over with someone), i.e. being in conversa-
tion with another man and a man’s talk with just oneself. Socrates believed that
there is in many people some knowledge, that is often unconscious. Every man
is gotten to know another part of world, that is not approachable to another man.
The knowledge, that is in the possession of people, can to be found out among
a talk. And the task of the philosopher is the bringing the knowledge to the light
of day (midwifery). Socrates thought, the source of the knowledge of a man and
of the world is the man oneself. A man cannot know the absolute truth, it can’t
be true. Not in a less degree than the dialogue with a people has the meaning the
dialogue of man with just oneself, that quickes the moral progress. The man,
who is alone, he is talking with just oneself and thus he is being the two in the
one (he thinks). A man does not ought to commit an evil, because he must to be
in criminal company (i.e. just oneself) forever. The goodness of soul was for
Socrates the most important thing, also in a political realm. There is not the good
community, political one too, without the good people.