Q0001
“The unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates (Apology 38a)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Plato, Apology 38a. Theme: life.
English
The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Plato, Apology 38a and files it under Socratic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Socrates
Socrates (c. 470/469–399 BCE) was an Athenian citizen who wrote nothing and yet redirected Greek philosophy from cosmology toward ethics and the care of the soul.
Interpretation
Socrates says this while proposing a penalty after his conviction, so it is not a slogan about self-improvement but a claim about what a human life is for. The Greek verb behind "examined" belongs to the practice of testing a claim by questioning it. Socrates is arguing that a life run on untested opinions is not merely worse than a considered one, but not properly human, because the capacity to give an account of oneself is what distinguishes a person from an animal or a machine. The sentence is severe on purpose: he is about to tell the court he will not stop doing this even if acquitted on that condition.
Why it matters
The test is uncomfortable because it applies to opinions we hold for social reasons. A useful version: take one conviction you defend often, and ask what evidence would change it. If nothing could, you are not holding a view — you are being held by one.
Concepts in this quote
- Life
- Philosophy quotes about life ask what makes a life good, meaningful, or worth examining—questions that drive ethics, religion, and everyday decision.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Socrates. (n.d.). The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0001
MLA: Socrates. “The unexamined life is not worth living for….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0001.
Chicago: Socrates. “The unexamined life is not worth living for….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0001.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The unexamined life is not worth living for…”?
The passage is attributed to Socrates, Plato, Apology 38a. The archive attributes this English wording to Plato, Apology 38a and files it under Socratic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Socrates mean by life?
Life is both a biological fact and a practical project. Philosophers debate flourishing, suffering, mortality, and the standards by which a biography can be judged successful or wasted. This passage enters that discussion through life, wisdom.