The Socratic Meaning of Virtue: Memorabilia by Xenophon, Part 1 of 2

Around 469 BC, Socrates was born in Athens, Greece. Many people consider him to be the father of Western philosophy. Others think of Socrates as an insightful teacher and an enlightened Master. Today, we present to you Socrates’ philosophy through an excerpt of a dialogue written by Xenophon titled, “Memorabilia.” “You seem, Antiphon, to imagine that happiness consists in luxury and extravagance. But my belief is that to have no wants is Divine; to have as few as possible comes next to the Divine; and as that which is Divine is Supreme, so that which approaches nearest to its nature is nearest to the Supreme.”