Why Did the Oracle of Delphi Call Socrates the Wisest
Man?
Noland, Natalie. "Why Did the Oracle of Delphi Call
Socrates the Wisest Man?" TheCollector.com,
December 19, 2023,
https://www.thecollector.com/why-did-the-oracle-
of-delphi-call-socrates-wisest-man/.
Socrates is one of the most
influential figures in Western
thought, and his teachings have
impacted a wide range of
philosophers and fields. Some of his
most well-known beliefs are about
wisdom. He believed that wisdom
was essential to virtue and living a good life. He was active during the fifth century BCE.
His thinking’s centered largely on ethics and morality, and he spent most of his time
asking questions about wisdom, virtue, and justice. Perhaps his most well-known
contribution was his method of teaching, known as the Socratic Method. In this format,
he asked his students questions and focused more on the thinking behind their answers
rather than right or wrong. Unfortunately, his works challenged the status quo of his
times, and ultimately, Socrates was executed.
Socrates Sought Out the Oracle of Delphi
The Oracle of Delphi was a priestess in Ancient Greece. Also known as the Pythia,
she was a channel through which the Greek god Apollo communicated his prophecies.
The Oracle influence hit its height during the classical period, between the sixth and
fourth centuries BCE, the same period when Plato wrote his dialogues. It makes sense,
then, that Socrates would feature in a tale with the famed prophetess.
Socrates Didn’t Believe He Was the Wisest
One of the greatest quests philosophers have embarked on - metaphorically speaking -
is the quest for true wisdom. And for Socrates, continuous searching for wisdom was
essential to living a good life. In the work Apology, Plato writes that Socrates visited the
Oracle of Delphi to ask if there was anyone wiser than him, and she responds that there
is no one wiser. This seemed false for Socrates, who was humble and modest
regarding his intelligence. To better understand the Oracle’s response, Socrates set out
to find someone wiser than himself.
He determined that anyone who knew what was worthwhile in life would be the wisest,
but the more people he spoke with, the more he realized that no one had a good
answer; everyone just pretended to. This, he realized, was why the Oracle proclaimed
him the wisest. Only Socrates could admit that he didn’t know.
The Key to Wisdom is Humility
When the Oracle of Delphi called Socrates the wisest man, it was not because he knew
the most or had the highest IQ. Socrates thought himself to be a smart man, for sure,
but he understood his limits. In fact, his question-and-answer discussional method of
teaching was designed to expose the contradictions and inconsistencies in people’s
beliefs, including his own. Acknowledging his faults led the Oracle of Delphi to say he
was the wisest.
Socrates knew he didn’t know everything and was willing to admit it. His humble
approach to wisdom set him apart from others, leading to a famous Socratic Paradox
that influenced philosophy in Ancient Greece and beyond: “I know that I am intelligent
because I know that I know nothing.”
Man?
Noland, Natalie. "Why Did the Oracle of Delphi Call
Socrates the Wisest Man?" TheCollector.com,
December 19, 2023,
https://www.thecollector.com/why-did-the-oracle-
of-delphi-call-socrates-wisest-man/.
Socrates is one of the most
influential figures in Western
thought, and his teachings have
impacted a wide range of
philosophers and fields. Some of his
most well-known beliefs are about
wisdom. He believed that wisdom
was essential to virtue and living a good life. He was active during the fifth century BCE.
His thinking’s centered largely on ethics and morality, and he spent most of his time
asking questions about wisdom, virtue, and justice. Perhaps his most well-known
contribution was his method of teaching, known as the Socratic Method. In this format,
he asked his students questions and focused more on the thinking behind their answers
rather than right or wrong. Unfortunately, his works challenged the status quo of his
times, and ultimately, Socrates was executed.
Socrates Sought Out the Oracle of Delphi
The Oracle of Delphi was a priestess in Ancient Greece. Also known as the Pythia,
she was a channel through which the Greek god Apollo communicated his prophecies.
The Oracle influence hit its height during the classical period, between the sixth and
fourth centuries BCE, the same period when Plato wrote his dialogues. It makes sense,
then, that Socrates would feature in a tale with the famed prophetess.
Socrates Didn’t Believe He Was the Wisest
One of the greatest quests philosophers have embarked on - metaphorically speaking -
is the quest for true wisdom. And for Socrates, continuous searching for wisdom was
essential to living a good life. In the work Apology, Plato writes that Socrates visited the
Oracle of Delphi to ask if there was anyone wiser than him, and she responds that there
is no one wiser. This seemed false for Socrates, who was humble and modest
regarding his intelligence. To better understand the Oracle’s response, Socrates set out
to find someone wiser than himself.
He determined that anyone who knew what was worthwhile in life would be the wisest,
but the more people he spoke with, the more he realized that no one had a good
answer; everyone just pretended to. This, he realized, was why the Oracle proclaimed
him the wisest. Only Socrates could admit that he didn’t know.
The Key to Wisdom is Humility
When the Oracle of Delphi called Socrates the wisest man, it was not because he knew
the most or had the highest IQ. Socrates thought himself to be a smart man, for sure,
but he understood his limits. In fact, his question-and-answer discussional method of
teaching was designed to expose the contradictions and inconsistencies in people’s
beliefs, including his own. Acknowledging his faults led the Oracle of Delphi to say he
was the wisest.
Socrates knew he didn’t know everything and was willing to admit it. His humble
approach to wisdom set him apart from others, leading to a famous Socratic Paradox
that influenced philosophy in Ancient Greece and beyond: “I know that I am intelligent
because I know that I know nothing.”
