Issn 2181-1296 ilmiy axborotnoma научный вестник scientific journal

Socrates considered the three main virtues: 
1. Moderation (knowing how to curb passions) 
2. Courage (knowing how to overcome dangers) 
3. Justice (knowing how to keep the laws of God and human) 

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ILMIY AXBOROTNOMA FALSAFA 2021-yil, 6-son 
90 
Only "noble people" can claim knowledge. And “farmers and other workers are very 
far from knowing themselves ... after all, they know only what is related to the body and 
serves it ... Therefore, if knowledge of oneself is a sign of rationality, none of these people , 
cannot be reasonable by virtue of his craft alone. Socrates was an implacable enemy of the 
Athenian masses. He was the ideologist of the aristocracy, his doctrine of the inviolability, 
eternity and immutability of moral norms expresses the ideology of this particular class. 
Socrates' preaching of virtue had a political purpose. He himself says about himself that he 
cares to prepare as many people as possible who are able to take up political activity. At the 
same time, the political education of the Athenian citizen was carried out by him in such a 
direction as to prepare for the restoration of the political domination of the aristocracy, to 
return to the "precepts of the fathers." 
Socrates talks about courage, prudence, justice, modesty. He would like to see in the 
Athenian citizens people who are brave, but modest, not exacting, prudent, fair in their 
relations with their friends, but not at all with enemies. A citizen must believe in the gods, 
make sacrifices to them and generally perform all religious rites, hope for the mercy of the 
gods and not allow himself the “impudence” to study the world, the sky, the planets. In a 
word, a citizen must be a humble, God-fearing, obedient tool in the hands of "noble 
gentlemen." 
Socrates was a whole man, for whom his own life was a philosophical problem, and 
the most important of the problems of philosophy was the question of the meaning of life and 
death. His worldview was just as integral, earthly, vital, just as full and deep expression of 
spiritual life. Socrates spent most of his time in discussions and disputes, and what this led to 
can be read in the stories of Diogenes Laertes: but he accepted it all without resistance. Once, 
even after receiving a kick, he endured it too, and when someone marveled, he replied: “If a 
donkey kicked me, would I sue him?” 
G. Hegel described his essence of philosophical teaching as follows: “... Socrates ... is 
not only an extremely important figure in the history of philosophy and, perhaps, the most 
interesting in ancient philosophy, but also a world-historical personality. For the main turning 
point of the spirit, its turning to itself, was embodied in it in the form of a philosophical 
thought, 1 and more: from oneself, and reach the truth by one's own strength."
2
If the “pre-Socrates” concentrated all their attention on the problems of nature, the 
cosmos, then Socrates turned decisively to the problem of man, his inner world. What is the 
use of knowing about the depths of the sea, distant stars, processes in the earth's crust, 
outlandish plants and animals, if you do not know yourself! Hence the motto: "Know thyself." 
Socrates knew how to ask and listen. To talk (to be in dialogue) with Socrates meant 
to pass the exam of the soul, to give an account to oneself about one's own life. Plato says: 
“Everyone who was next to Socrates and entered into a conversation with him, no matter what 
was discussed, passed through the turns of the spiral of dispute and inevitably found himself 
forced to go forward until he realized in himself how he lived and how he lives now, and that 
which once slipped even a glimpse could not hide from Socrates. 
He said about himself that he was like a gadfly that stings his fellow citizens in the 
most vulnerable places, constantly reminding them of their vices and imperfections and the 
need to at least sometimes think about it. But the philistines don't need gadflies. It is not 
difficult to understand that the know-it-alls, narrow-minded and narrow-minded people, were 
irritated by conversations with Socrates, their reaction was often aggressive. Many wanted to 
silence him in order to put an end to this compulsion to test his soul. A lawsuit was initiated 
against him. He, a 70-year-old man, was accused of corrupting (in the spiritual sense) youth, 
calling for not revering the gods, inciting youth to refuse to observe old, sacred customs and 
traditions. Socrates tried to defend himself, to prove his case. However, he failed to win the 

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