OEDIPUS'S HAMARTIA

Oedipus's Hamartia and His Eventual Downfall In The Light Of Socrates` Understanding of “Wisdom”

ABSTRACT

In contrast to the teachings of Socrates, Oedipus is someone completely different. His arrogance in knowing his past, blind believe in the Oracle`s prophesy, and believe in the drunks telling him about his adoption shows his lack of wisdom. Not once asking himself, if his action of running away from his foster parents is the correct one, or if it contradicts with the reality of his adoption. Oedipus did not question the oracle and his foster parents telling him anything about his adoption, and rushing of on the oracles` prophecy shows no relation with the concept of Socrates` philosophy of knowing that you know nothing.

Oedipus's Hamartia and His Eventual Downfall In The Light Of Socrates` Understanding of “Wisdom”

Introduction

Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher. He helped to shape Greek beliefs. The ideas he created are present in our culture today. Socrates was born in 470 B.C. He grew up during the Golden Age of Athens. This was a time period when Greece was very powerful. His family lived near Athens.

The philosophy before Socrates was primarily concerned with matters relating to the existence of the world and what it is. The Socrates believed that the sins are only a result of ignorance. If people only knew what is right, then what he found it difficult to follow. The Socrates was off the opinion that rulers should be one of those men who know how to govern, and not necessarily those who are elected.

Thesis Statement

For Socrates, "there is only one good, that is wisdom, and only one evil, which is ignorance."

Socrates' understanding of Wisdom

One of Socrates` most famous saying is "I only know that I know nothing". The statement clearly showed his believe that he knew his wisdoms restriction to the knowledge of his own unawareness. According to him, the people who did wrong did not know better as doing wrong was the result of their ignorance (Hope 2000, pp. 112).

Wisdom is knowledge of self, key that allows the knowledge of the universe. Hence the importance he gave to moral philosophy, knowledge of the motives of men's action, the self-control that should emerge from this knowledge.

Although not claiming to be teacher, he leads his listeners to a much clearer idea of wisdom as a philosophical interlocutor. He believed and preached that the soul before entering into the body is in the realm of Ideas, free from the shadows of this world. It was his teachings, and emphasis to ask one's self questions in such a way as to make the soul to remember the idea in their purest form without the influence of others, eliciting wisdom. Supporting this, Socrates stated, "I know you will not believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question one`s self and others (Bruell, C. 1994 pp. 261-82).

Oedipus

Oedipus, the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes, sent to be abandoned in the mountains because of the prophecy of ...