Socrates
Early Life
Socrates was born in 469 BC in Alopeke, a deme or district of the city-state of Athens, Greece. His father, Sophroniscus, was a stonemason or sculptor, and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife. Socrates was brought up in a modest household and received the basic Athenian education in music, gymnastics, and grammar.
Career as a Philosopher
Socrates never wrote any philosophical texts. Our understanding of his thoughts and teachings comes from the writings of his students, particularly Plato and Xenophon. Socrates is known for his contribution to the field of ethics and for his creation of the Socratic method, a form of dialogue used to stimulate critical thinking and to expose the contradictions in one’s beliefs.
Socratic Method
The Socratic method, also known as elenchus, is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals. It is based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. This method is a negative method of hypothesis elimination, in that better hypotheses are found by identifying and eliminating those that lead to contradictions.
Contribution to Ethics
Socrates' contributions to philosophy were a new method of approaching knowledge, a conception of the soul as the seat both of knowledge and of moral excellence, and a sense of justice as the key virtue governing human relations. His belief in personal responsibility for moral choices was the basis of his powerful conviction that individuals must accept responsibility for their moral choices.
Trial and Death
In 399 BC, Socrates was put on trial and found guilty of both corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens and of impiety. As a punishment, he was sentenced to die by consuming a drink containing poison hemlock. His death is described in the Phaedo, one of Plato's dialogues.
Legacy
Socrates' ideas have had a profound influence on Western philosophy. His teachings, as represented by Plato, have been central to philosophy from antiquity to the present day. His views on the soul and the moral worth of being just have been particularly influential.