Socrates

Socrates (469/470-399 BC) was a classical Greek philosopher who is credited with laying the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy.

Life

Socrates was born and lived nearly his entire life in Athens. His father Sophroniscus was a stonemason and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife. As a youth, he showed an appetite for learning. Plato describes him eagerly seeking the company of the men of wisdom and eloquence.

In his early twenties, Socrates became a disciple of Archelaus the physicist. But it was the philosophy of Anaxagoras that most influenced him.

Philosophy

Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of society. He attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than theological doctrine. Socrates pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for happiness. Ultimate wisdom comes from knowing oneself. The more a person knows, the greater his or her ability to reason and make choices that will bring true happiness. Socrates believed that this translated into politics with the best form of government being neither a tyranny nor a democracy. Instead, government worked best when ruled by individuals who had the greatest ability, knowledge and virtue, and possessed a complete understanding of themselves.

Death

Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to die. He drank a mixture containing poison hemlock and died in 399 BC.

Legacy

Socrates' most important contribution to Western philosophy is his dialectic method of inquiry, known as the Socratic method or method of "elenchus", which he largely applied to the examination of key moral concepts such as the Good and Justice. It was first described by Plato in the Socratic Dialogues.

See also

• Plato
• Aristotle
• Philosophy
• Ancient Greece

External links

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Socrates
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Socrates

Socrates Resources
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