Summary of ideas and impacts of Two Seminal Thinkers

• Socrates:
• idea that life focused on self-development (goodness, virtue, justice, friendship)
• absolute good and absolute justice
• idea of asking questions in order to acquire more knowledge
• can gain true knowledge by the little we know
• immortality of the soul
• Impacts: affected areas of ethics, logic, knowledge
• Buddha: Four Noble Truths
• 1: old age, illness, death = forms of human suffering
• karma
• reincarnation depends on person’s karma-merit
• 2: suffering is closely linked to desire
• desires: ageing, illness, mortality
• power= not always realised
• 3: suffering can be dispelled by abandonment of desires
• 4: abandonment of desires can be achieved by following Noble Eightfold Path
• Purpose: meditation, to change yourself and develop qualities of awareness
• does not worship creator or God
• anyone can achieve enlightenment