Example research essay topic: Young Men 1 Kings - 1,096 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Solomon and Socrates are thought of as the wisest men in history. Solomon was a man of God who wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Songs in the Bible. The great philosopher, Socrates, lived in the Classical Age of Greece. Their styles of teaching and perspectives on wisdom were very different, but they did have their similarities. While Solomon and Socrates had the same perspective on what wisdom was, they had contrasting understandings on where it came from. Solomon's definition of wisdom was the knowledge of making wise choices.

Proverbs 1: 2 - 3 says, Wisdom is instruction in wise dealings with others. Wisdom is instruction in righteousness, knowing the difference between good and evil. Wisdom is instruction in justice, knowing how to do what is right. It is the simple learning shrewdness so that they are not taken advantage of. It is the young learning knowledge and prudence.

For both the young and the old it is an increase in skill, understanding and knowledge. In Proverbs, he was trying to show his readers how to make wise choices. All of what Solomon wrote came straight from God, and he believed that the only way that anyone could get wisdom was if they got it from God. 1 Kings 3: 5 - 13 says, In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou has t kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. This quote from 1 Kings shows that even though Solomon could have asked anyone where he could get wisdom, he instead put all his faith in God and asked Him for it. And in return God gave it to him!

Let us compare these ideas with those of Socrates. The love of wisdom is known as philosophy; and Socrates was the "father of philosophy. " What is wisdom, and where does it come from? Socrates, like Solomon, thought that wisdom was the knowledge of knowing the standard for what is right and what is wrong. He was a man of great wisdom who, unlike Solomon, believed that if you thought deeply enough then you would be able to discover in yourself the standard. Socrates continuously attempted to find the standard for making a good decision. In Plato's book The Last Days of Socrates in the section called, What did Socrates Think, it tells about what his main question was how to find the standard in life.

Socrates says, "One must try to find the standard to know how to act right in any situation. " Moreover, "The standard is not divine approval, apparently, but it will not help to say that holiness is part of justice unless we understand how to recognize an instance of justice. " While both of these men agreed that wisdom is the knowledge of making wise choices, their thoughts on where they got wisdom was completely different. Furthermore, they had different styles of teaching their wisdom. Solomon was a wealthy king who shared God's wisdom in his own words. He spread his wisdom through books that he gave freely to anyone who wanted them. Most of what Solomon wrote was meant for young men. In Proverbs, Solomon begins each chapter with "My Son"; this is a greeting to young men.

Solomon wrote lots of poems and proverbs, which are contained in the book of Proverbs. Solomon tended to compare and contrast subjects. An example of this is in Proverbs 10: 8, "The wise heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. He also used similes and metaphors. Proverbs 18: 4 says, "The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. " Solomon used similes, metaphors, comparing and contrasting so that his writings could be easily remembered. This is very different compared with Socrates style of teaching.

Socrates always wanted people to think for themselves. Instead of telling his listeners the answers to their questions he just asked frequent questions until they figured out the answer themselves. This questioning was known as the " Socratic method." Socrates was a very poor man, and it didn't help any that he taught young men for free. We have no writing by Socrates himself, so we have to rely on the writings of others that wrote about him. This is called the " Socratic Problem." After Socrates' death, Plato, who was one of Socrates's talents, wrote a lot of Socrates' most important teachings in a dialogue form so that anyone that read what he said would be able to see exactly what he said. In conclusion, Socrates and Solomon were both very wise men who had their similarities and their differences in their teachings.

Solomon and Socrates had very similar thoughts of what wisdom was. In contrast, their belief of the source of wisdom was opposite. In addition, while both tended to teach young men for free, the methods of how they expressed their knowledge varied tremendously.

Research essay sample on Young Men 1 Kings