Socrates and Jesus shared many qualities and had similar experiences. A few of their similarities consist of a disregard for material things and their stimulating influence on their immediate followers. They also shared claims of motivation and encouragement, they both attempted to define the moral life, and they were both martyrs for what they believed in. (Hattersley, 1) Neither Socrates nor Jesus wrote down a single word that has survived throughout time.
Yet in terms of their influence on the future of society they can be compared only to each other. However, this essay argues that what was most important about them was their differences. (Hattersley, 1) Some of their differences were their opposing definitions of the divine and their conflicting views of love and reason. The understanding of society and the role of laws in society differ as well. Their fundamental understanding of how humankind could and should progress clashes between the two historical figures. (Hattersley, 1)
The thesis that history is comprised of a Greek philosophical tradition presented by Socrates and a Judeo–Christian philosophy presented by Jesus is nothing new. (Hattersley, 1) Scholars in every field have analyzed history and culture in terms of certain dualisms comprised of…show more content… The two major sources on Socrates, Plato and Xenophon, studied with him and knew him well. He is also mentioned, described and satirized in other forms of literature. (Hattersley, 2) Almost the opposite is true in the case of Jesus. Most of what we know of his life comes from the four Gospels, and was passed down orally for generations. While we can reconstruct Socrates’ life and teachings from reasonably reliable historical records, we must define Jesus’ original message from what his followers and their immediate successors made of it. (Hattersley,