The Three Important Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

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There were many important greek philosophers. They all said something that is still known today. Some of these ideas are still accepted today as true. Three of these important philosophers are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They have all said something that is still accepted in modern society. Socrates was a greek philosopher that lived from four-hundred-sixty-nine BCE to three-hundred-ninety-nine BCE. He is one of the most influential Greek philosophers. He created the socratic method which, is a method of thinking where a person asks a question in a circle. After the question is posed the rest of the circle goes around one by one answering the question. The way it works is it breaks big problems down into small and answerable questions. A key aspect of the method is the idea that there are no wrong ideas and all answers are accepted. This method causes people to think harder and more critically about the questions being asked. The questions must be more than a yes or no question. They must be a question that evokes thought and takes explaining to answer. Socrates wrote nothing about philosophy or his life. However he is still considered a very important philosopher in Greek history. The only documents written about Socrates’s life are written by Plato, Xenophon, and Aristophanes. His most well known traits were his communication skills and his ideas. According to Plato, Socrates fought in the battles of Amphipolis, Potidaea, and Delium for the Athenian army. “Aristophanes' writings describe Socrates running a sophist school and getting paid for it. Xenophon and Plato disagree with this saying that Socrates did not accept any payment for his teaching, with his poverty acting as proof of this fact.” (AncientGreece.com, Socrate... ... middle of paper ... ...ps like him a native of Stagira, though her origins are disputed, as is the question of her exact relationship to Aristotle.” (Shields, Aristotle) In 323 BCE Aristotle left Athens again. The reason Aristotle left Athens is, because he was worried for Alexander the Great’s safety who had just contracted a disease. He died on Euboea in 322 BCE from Digestive issues at the age of 52. He left behind the philosophy that all humans are mortal. Later on the Church used Aristotle to explain their teachings to the people of the middle ages. In conclusion, Philosophy works in a chain effect. Each Philosopher was influenced by the last and in turn influence more in the future. Some philosophical influences still continue today and are still known and accepted today. Philosophers are still influencing people today and will continue to affect modern life and life in the future.

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