Abstract

Depending on one’s perspective, Socrates’ brief words concerning the Good in Republic 6 have either cast a guiding light, or an ambiguous shadow over so much subsequent philosophy. For some, they offer testimony affirming the existence of objective, even eternal values: despite suffering, imperfections and much evil, ultimately being is good. But for others, such as Nietzsche, Socrates’ words are a lie and represent the deception that has most crippled the Western mind. From this perspective, there are no objective values, and existence is not good except insofar as we make it so.