For the longest time, philosophers have shaped culture and beliefs into what is known as society today. Socrates was a Greek philosopher who inspired many (still inspiring the youth today) despite the controversial ideas he presented about 2,000 years ago. Philosophies and teaching of Socrates evolved the way of thinking and points of interests during the time period in which Socrates lived. This Greek philosopher’s teachings were unlike those of the social norms during 300 BC, which plays a significant role in the importance of Socrates today. Socrates was an innovating philosopher whose teachings made him one of the most influential figures in history.
Most knowledge proclaimed by historians about Socrates are collected from Plato’s (Socrates’ student) writings, for Socrates’ teaching were never recorded/ written. Plato was one of Socrates’ most famous students, who was very inspired by Socrates’ enforcement of the significance of morals and continued to spread wisdom, Plato gained as a pupil. Aristotle, student of Plato and a well-known philosopher, respected and accept Plato’s and Socrates’ beliefs, despite disagreeing with some ideas. Now apparent, Socrates influenced some of the most famous and impactful philosophers as of today.
Historians have gathered from Plato’s published writing that Socrates used the “Socratic method” during his teachings and lectures. “His ‘Socratic method’ consisted of asking questions, particularly in pursuit of definitions” (Sacks). The purpose for asking a series of questions, was to allow the person to ponder the question, as well as the string of answers, ideas, and aspects of morals which come along with it. Also, according to the information provided of Socrates’ life, one can infer he was ...
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...delines) was what lead him one of the most impactful philosophers (Sacks). Most philosophers, during the time period focused on astronomy. The ancient Greeks are known for their achievements in astronomy. Without these discoveries, the current understanding of the Universe may be entirely different. Although the study of astronomy is fascinating, and vital, Socrates believed it was unnecessary, which compelled him to develop a new way of thinking, composing of ideas focusing on human behavior, and intellectual questions. It is commonly believed that Socrates was influenced by Socratic philosophers: Cratylus, Parmenides, and Heraclitus. Similar to many western philosophers, todays, Socrates emphasized the value of virtues, knowledge, and ethics. As mentioned earlier, Aristotle was a great philosopher who lived during the same time period as Socrates.
Socrates put one’s quest for wisdom and the instruction of others above everything else in life. A simple man both in the way he talked and the wealth he owned, he believed that simplicity in whatever one did was the best way of acquiring knowledge and passing it unto others. He is famous for saying that “the unexplained life is not worth living.” He endeavored therefore to break down the arguments of those who talked with a flowery language and boasted of being experts in given subjects (Rhees 30). His aim was to show that the person making a claim on wisdom and knowledge was in fact a confused one whose clarity about a given subject was far from what they claimed. Socrates, in all his simplicity never advanced any theories of his own but rather aimed at bringing out the worst in his interlocutors.
Socrates (Philosopher) – He was a Greek philosopher recognized as one of the creators of Western Philosophy. He was famous for his Socratic Method, an art of reasoning. Socrates was born on 469 B.C. in Alopeke. His father, Sophroniscus was a Stonemason or a sculptor and his mother, Phaenarete was a midwife. Socrates was married to Xanthippe who had a not-so-good temperament. Xanthippe gave birth to three sons who were Menexenus, Lamprocles and Sophroniscus.
Through time there have been a number of great philosophers, John Locke, Rene Descartes, Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates, that positively impacted and changed the world’s way of thinking. Plato lived from about 428 BC until 347 BC in which he wrote over twenty six dialogues, including the Apology, Crito, and Euthyphro (Source 2). Socrates introduced ethics, the study of what people should do, instead of analyzing what people do like the other philosophers of that time period (Source 4). Socrates did not believe he was a teacher to anyone, therefore it is said Plato studied with Socrates for about ten years and was not a student of his (Source 2). Due to the fact there is no written record directly from Socrates, what is known about him comes primarily from Plato’s dialogues (Source 4). The Apology is Plato’s account of the dialect Socrates used to defend himself at his indictment trial and conviction.
The following essay aims to discuss the opinion that Socrates should not be considered a Sophist, with one’s chosen focal point to be how although he may have shared many qualities, it is his differences from this group which set him apart in a group of his own. The ideas one shall go on to discuss include how Socrates can be equated with the Sophists, as he too saw the importance of this discussion and education of the moral society, the pursuit of such education lead to hostility towards both the Sophists and Socrates, both of whom were accused of impiety and corruption of the youth.One shall go on to argue against this interpretation however, presenting ideas around Socrates methods and
Socrates life was similar to his philosophies in more ways than one. He was loved, and unloved by the society. He was wise and depicted as such in the statue which represents him, though he would argue himself as unwise. His thoughts and actions have been preserved by the writings of his students, and his ideas have been preserved by actions from the world beyond his time. It is clear why a statue of this man was created; his questions changed the world.
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher that was born in Athens, Greece around 470/469 BC. He served in the Athenian army and fought in many battles. When Socrates retired from fighting in the army, he began focusing on expressing his beliefs. He wasn’t the typical “teacher” or “preacher”; he was a very critical and analytical thinker that helped guide his students and the Athenians during his time. Through his teachings and beliefs, Socrates had positive and negative influence on the people during his time and modern time. Although he is credited as one of the founders of Western Philosophy, Political Philosophy, and Ethics, his teachings was in disagreement with the teachings of the democracy of Athens, which led to him being put to death. Along with his philosophical beliefs, Socrates’ great thinking led to the creation of the Socratic Method and the Socratic Paradoxes.
Recognized as one of the classical Greek Athenian philosophers who founded Western philosophy, Socrates was a mysterious figure known essentially through the accounts of later classical writers, especially from writings of his students Xenophon and the most popular Plato. Through Plato’s dialogues, Socrates has been portrayed and renowned for his involvement in the field of moral principles, and by this the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic Method had come about. With Socrates’ pedagogy, a series of questions can be asked not only to draw individual answers, but also to persuade deep-seated insights into the real issues at hand. His result remains a frequently used tool in a broad series of discussions.
“Love is difficult to define, and there maybe different definitions. But one definition of love, is an utter, absolute, and unqualified wish for the other’s happiness” (). One of the most important Greek philosophers in Western history, Socrates contributed to many theories, and impacted the field of ethics throughout his life. He was well known in Athens for his knowledge and teachings to the youth. He was the creator of Socratic irony and the Socratic method, both used to convey his lessons to the Athenians. Socrates had many disciples throughout his life including Plato, one of the more popular students. Plato is the author of many philosophical writings, many of which are about Socrates. He questioned the idea of virtue and studied the
About the year of 470 B.C, a man was born in Athens and his name was Socrates. He was a son of a working sculptor and a midwife. Socrates lived in the greatest and most exciting period of his country's history, when Athens developed from a mere city-state to be the head of an empire. He studied problems of Physics, Biology, and other sciences, and learned the art of making the worse argument appear the better. He could easily be involved in public decisions but he did not enjoy politics so he stuck to his interests and life that consisted the qualities of a thinker. He would constantly be thinking about the "ordinary man" and the interests of an "ordinary man". He had many companions, men of all ages and from all parts of the Greek world. This already tells us that he is very pre-occupied with how other people's minds worked and if he could figure out how to teach them rational thinking. Easily most of his ideas would come from talking to other people
Well-known for his significant impact on the philosophical world, Socrates was one of the first people to truly question individuals and take the average level of thinking to a much more elevated level. The Last Days of Socrates, specifically Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, written by Plato demonstrates Socrates’ great use of the Socratic method as well as rhetoric, the art of persuasion. Many people looked down upon Socrates because they viewed his calling, as told by the Oracle of Delphi, to be impious. Although Socrates was put to death for living a life such as his, he was very extremely successful during his time alive. Socrates was successful in both the realm of philosophical truth and in the outside world because humans used rhetorical ways of thinking to find purpose and make decisions without the influence of other members in society.
Socrates was born around the year 469 B.C.E, and during his lifetime became one of the most well-known philosophers in the world. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, much of the information that is known about Socrates is secondhand; this is because he never wrote anything, unlike many of the other philosophers. The information known is most likely from the writings of his most famous student, Plato. The teachers of Socrates are unknown, although many believe he got his ideas from the teachings and doctrines of Anaxagoras and even Heraclitus.
Philosophy is “The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. Socrates is known as one of the greatest philosophers to ever have lived because he studied knowledge, reality, and existence to the point where he constructed a famous method used to find the answer to any problem, no matter the subject. This famous method is one of his greatest works and is known as the Socratic Method. This method involves breaking a problem into a series of questions, consequently the solution is usually found by answering all of the sub questions. He then used this method to examine moral ideas like justice, and began to question Athenian politics. This method later led to create hypothesis and the Scientific Method, which are widely used in modern scienc...
Socrates was a very important philosopher. He usually questioned a lot about traditions, religion and government. One of his ideas, now used at school, is the Socratic Method. This is that a person asks questions to the pupil, and while the pupil responds, the answer is becoming clearer. Socrates did not like to write any books. He always preferred staying at the market talking and questioning people, than staying at home writing books. He was very controversial, an...
Socratic philosophy that, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing” (The Republic), is contradictory to Athenians’ definition of being wise. Socrates inquires knowledge, life and virtue; he says, “the unexamined life is not with living for a human being” (Apology 38a-b). Socrates’s inquiry of moral and political authority of Athenians directly challenges the city’s law and value that individuals, family and the city depend on. Therefore, the Socratic skepticism incurs hatred and enmity from people who are angry and envious of Socrates. Socrates implies at the beginning of his speech that his fate is doomed because the people who judge him believe in the persuasive falsehoods and won’t be willing to listen to the truth. The death of Socrates also reveals the internal fallacy in Athenian democracy. The consequence of a recalcitrant philosophy stands against the whole city is written, because the gulf between the belief of the society and the philosophy is impassible. Socrates’s way of living seems to be unreasonable for most people, and as the same time is not suitable for the proper operation of society which doesn’t want civilians to question the essence of life. However, Socrates shifts the focus of philosophy from the heaven to the earth. Before Socrates, natural
Among the most revered philosophers of all time was Socrates. Living around the 5th century B.C.,