Socrates' Philosophical Pursuit: Taking Care of Our Souls is Important

Philosophy Paper
I agree with Socrates that taking care of our souls is more important than acquiring wealth or taking care of our bodies. Our souls determine the kind of people we are. The truth about the world forces people to abandon their souls in search of wealth. This leads to a system within the society where people benefit by exploiting others. Religion gives people a place to repent and feel good about themselves. But often, at times, people are willing to overlook religion in favor of worldly pleasures. In this paper, I explain why taking care of our souls is better than acquiring wealth and taking care of our bodies.
Throughout his life, Socrates lived as a philosopher. He believed in the endless pursuit of knowledge to form an interpretation of the world. No human being can fully understand the world or the extended universe. Therefore, the only thing we can do is try and formulate our interpretations of the universe. In his philosophical pursuits, Socrates found that wisdom was much superior to wealth and other worldly acquisitions. In attempting to understand the world, Socrates tried to understand himself. Through this process, he discovered that understanding oneself was much more fulfilling than living a life where one's sole purpose is acquiring wealth.
Socrates' philosophical pursuit would enable him to become a better person as opposed to his fellow countrymen, who were mainly obsessed with governance and acquiring wealth. An example of how Socrates' philosophical pursuit enabled him to become a better person can be seen in the Apology. While supporting his case, Socrates was keen to apply reason and integrity. He said that he would rather take the death sentence than let the judges acquit him on a lesser charge. This statement shows Socrates' pride in his integrity. Also, it indicates that Socrates understood the kind of person he was. Through his philosophical pursuit, he had allowed himself to look deep down into his soul and take of it. Had he allowed himself to live like other men, he would have easily let his values be eroded.
Since the time of Socrates, the world has changed dramatically. People have become more focused on acquiring wealth. Presently, we live in an ev...