Why Socrates believed knowledge is the ultimate virtue

Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens, living between the years 470 BC and 399 BC and is credited as the founder of Western philosophy.

He believed knowledge was the most important virtue because, without it, all other virtues were hollow.

Knowledge wasn't just about facts but about understanding life, yourself, and the world deeply and truly. He saw it as the foundation a good life was built.

Without knowledge, you cannot be just, brave, or temperate, because these virtues require a clear understanding of what is right and true.

Knowledge should be achieved through the Socratic method. Questioning, dialogue, and self-examination.

He wandered the streets of Athens, engaging with anyone willing to talk, always probing and challenging.

He said that wisdom began with recognising one's own ignorance. To achieve knowledge, you must be humble, never assume you have all the answers, and always be ready to learn.

Vice was then the shadow of ignorance. To him, vice wasn't just evil deeds but the absence of understanding.

When a person acts viciously, it is because they don't truly grasp the good. They are lost in a fog of false beliefs and illusions, chasing shadows instead of the light of truth.

Socrates believed that no one willingly chooses to do wrong; they do it out of ignorance, not knowing what is genuinely in their best interest.