The amazing folks at Sententiae Antiquae have done it again with a great post of quotations attributed to the famous Socrates, including such gems as:
“Socrates, when asked what is sweetest in life, said “education, virtue, and the investigation of the unknown”
Σωκράτης ὁ φιλόσοφος ἐρωτηθεὶς τί ἥδιστον ἐν τῷ βίῳ εἶπε· „παιδεία καὶ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἱστορία τῶν ἀγνοουμένων”.
verse 470 of the Sayings Attributed to Socrates in the Gnomologium Vaticanum, translated by Sententiae Antiquae
For those not familiar with Socrates, apart from the most excellent movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Socrates was a highly-controversial and eccentric man who lived in ancient Greece around the 5th century BCE. His disciples included Plato, Xenophon, Antisthenes, Aristippus, and Aeschines among many others. Western philosophy just wouldn’t be what it is without ol’ So-Crates.
Trouble is, Socrates was (according Plato’s writings) was kind of obnoxious to many:
Socrates had a very uncompromising way of calling B.S. on others’ beliefs, what he might have called hubris and delusion, and eventually he paid for it. Nevertheless, the West is indebted to his unrelenting (not to mention unconventional) pursuit of the truth. Given that he lived around the same time as Shakyamuni Buddha, I sometimes like to wonder what would’ve happened if they hung out with each other for a while….
P.S. Really looking forward to the upcoming Bill and Ted 3 movie. 😄
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 