Why did Socrates not treat material wealth as the main measure of a good life?

Socrates did not view material wealth as the primary measure of a good life because he believed that the most important human obligation is the "care of the soul," which involves the cultivation of virtue.1

In the context of ancient Greek ethics, the good life—or eudaimonia—was understood as a state of human flourishing achieved through excellence and virtue, rather than through financial prosperity or social status. Socrates maintained that virtue is a form of knowledge, and he prioritized the pursuit of this wisdom and the integrity of one's character over the accumulation of material goods.231

His life reflected this conviction; he famously neglected his own household and financial interests to engage in the examined life, seeking to understand the nature of justice and goodness. For Socrates, acting virtuously was inherently good for the individual, and he demonstrated through his actions—such as his refusal to participate in wrongdoing even at great personal risk—that moral integrity was far more valuable than material gain.4526