Socrates And The Era Of Ancient Greece

Socrates was a great thinker and debater dedicated to truth. He spent his golden years walking the streets of Athens in pursuit of wisdom. Socrates lived the destiny that was revealed to him in the Oracle. He created and perfected his own cross-examination technique; we today know it as the Socratic Method. He was thorough and unrelenting. His subjects were often humiliated. Socrates would methodically disprove anyone he thought was wrong. In his eyes, most of the people he interviewed were blind. It did not matter if one was wealthy and influential or if they were young and impressionable. Socrates could question anyone and turn him or her inside out. Unfortunately, he did so without regard to the

However, Socrates views went beyond these societal barriers by encouraging the practice of open-mindedness. I firmly believe that Socrates is an admirable and inspirational figure to both philosophers and the people through his use of words throughout the dialogues of Plato.

Look into the eyes of the bust of Socrates and you can almost see what he saw in the universe. It looks as though his wisdom is unsurmountable, as he did believe himself to be the most brilliant man in the universe, while also knowing for sure: the only thing he knows is that he doesn’t know anything. Unlike the famous Kouros statues that were all alike and used for a certain purpose of a grave maker, or shrine to the gods, the portrait of Socrates shows depth and importance. During the classical period it became increasingly common for Greek sculptures to depict more realistic forms. The portrait of Socrates details a man who was not afraid to ask hard questions, it also puts across the point that he may

The Greek civilization had a magnificent influence in history. Scientific methods, the Latin alphabet, extravagant art, democracy and philosophy were all created during this era. Philosophy brought new ideas and ways of thinking. Although, several people had a major impact on Greek civilization Socrates, Alexander of Macedon and Solon all influenced the way we live today.

In The Prince and The Last Days of Socrates, Niccolò Machiavelli and Socrates give their respective personal discourses on what makes an effective leader and what are favorable practices of politics. Although both men have intense nationalism and agree on the ends of their operations being a prosperous principality, it is how they plan to get there, in which the two men differ. Machiavelli believes in a cautious, unexamined approach to statecraft where the ends justify the means while Socrates believes in a ruler that is questioned by his people, examines every viable option available, and adheres to a morally correct code of ethics that is driven by the betterment of the soul over the benefit of one’s state.

To question what no man has questioned before, that is what we praise Socrates for. Socrates’ Philosophies grew out of his questioning of the social norm. Using this technique, he seems to always focus on three main aspects: justice, virtue, and morality. Socrates claims that he has no wisdom. He states, “I know I have no wisdom, great or small.” The world has an infinite number of possibilities and anything he declares understanding, is extremely minimal compared to the possibilities that exist in the world, there is so much out there that hasn’t been exposed yet. Socrates had many thoughts and ideas over things people never even took time to think about. He thought differently and always more intensely than others. Socrates says that knowledge is essential to a person. He concluded that a person’s evil and wrong actions come from their ignorance and their failure to investigate. He was also convinced that no one knowingly does wrong, if a person does not know what is right, then that person will do wrong, but in the other hand, if the person knows what is right, they will most definitely do right. He once mentioned that “the unexamined life is not worth living” introducing the idea of Universal Definitions, meaning although individual things may vary and be constructed differently the definitions of how they are similar, are permanent. The most important thing about Socrates was the fact that he was a teacher. He taught anywhere and everywhere, he even went up to people,

Socrates once said, “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think,” and to make one think he did. Socrates was born around 469 BCE in Athens, Greece. Socrates’ father was a stonemason, so Socrates did not have a plethora of money when he was growing up (Socrates). When Socrates was growing up he studied music, gymnastics, and grammar, as these subjects were seen as the common studies for a young Greek child to assimilate (Mark). While studying these subjects, Socrates was following his father’s footsteps on the path to becoming a sculptor, however, he would later stray from this path to become a philosopher.

Socrates was a man from ancient Greek and is highly considered to be the Father of Philosophy. In the field of philosophy, he was the tutor of Plato, who taught Aristotle the teacher of Alexander the Great. It was through Socrates, that the Greek philosophy came

Around the fourth century BCE, philosophy in Ancient Greece arose rapidly. This early form was speculative, so it was based entirely off the reasoning process without any factuality involved. While the Hellenistic Era approached, philosophy was taken to a whole new level. During Greece’s Golden Age, Socrates emerged expanding on these basic beliefs by using his inquisitive mind. Although Socrates’ ideology set the basis for western thought, his dedication to his beliefs brought him about as a polarizing figure in Athens.

Socrates, born in 470 BC in Athens, Greece, knew from a very young age the profound love and passion he carried for philosophy. His unendingly

Although Socrates never wrote even one book in his life, his thinking and ideas produce an important impact on European culture. Socrates has always been seen as a saint who died because pursuit for truth. He claims that he is a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the God, and proud of it. Eventually, he was charged by Athenian democrats with "corrupt the Athenian youth" and other charges, and died by drinking poison in 339BC. In the trial, Socrates refused to intercede for himself. His words which he speaks in the court, record by his student, Plato. Then we know that he said: “An unexamined life is not worth living."

Most of what we know about Socrates comes from three sources – writings of two of his students (Plato and Xenophon) and plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. The most comprehensive accounts come from Plato who is seen as the “best disciple” but the writings are mostly believed to be Plato’s views projected on Socrates who is shown as a wise teacher. It is believed that early Plato writings depict Socrates as he actually was because he always proclaims ignorance in these texts. In later writings, Socrates beings to offer theories of knowledge which are believed to be Plato’s contributions and projections. One of Plato’s important works is The Apology in which we see Socrates interacting with people in Greece, and is in the form of drama/dialogue.

Socrates was born Athens in the year (469 – 399) BCE. Socrates hadn’t wrote anything about his life. However his student wrote down his life and ideas. The main student who wrote about Socrates is Plato. Socrates was a son of Sophroniscus. Socrates raised in a poor family, so he learned the basic Greek education and then moved to be a stone man like his father work. He worked as craft man for many years before he advocated his life to be an Athens philosopher Socrates. (2015). In addition, Socrates was a solider in the Athenian army. He participated in three military campaigns during the Peloponnesian War, at Delium, Amphipolis, and

Socrates was known as one of the best Greek philosophers born in Athens in 469 BC. He wasn’t one to keep his legacy alive by physically writing it down. Socrates was a verbal philosopher who taught orally. He always had questions beyond questions for anyone and everyone who he crossed paths with. He was a curious person and his curiosity is what lead him to become the great philosopher he is known by today. He would talk to anyone who was willing to listen, no matter the gender, wealth, or age of the person. Socrates was known for not accepting money for his teachings. He lived a fairly poor life but he was known for his character and the way he presented himself. He taught himself before he taught others without even realizing it. Self-development was the main aspect he used to tell his fellow believers, rather than focusing on becoming a wealthy person. The Socratic Method is known as the famous process in helping people. He would ask them a number of questions and listen to what one had to say, rather than making assumptions and jumping to conclusions. His goal was to let the other person listen to themselves and realize what they are speaking. He tried to give them a voice of reasoning and have them truly understand that the answer doesn’t necessarily have to come from someone else’s perspectives but their own.

As the Greek philosopher Aristotle is widely thought to have said, "The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival." The earliest accounts of human history chronicle the struggle for survival against all odds. It is therefore remarkable that roughly 2400 years ago the question of virtue was raised, let alone contemplated at great length, forming a foundation upon which Western philosophers build to the present day. Socrates and Aristotle were two key individuals credited for their roles in the advent of Classical philosophy. Men in ancient Greece lived relatively privileged lives (save for war, disease, and lack of indoor plumbing), giving rise to a class of people able to devote time to leisurely pursuits and intellectual inquiry. Indeed, Socrates and Aristotle were far from the only free men in ancient Greece to contemplate truth and virtue, but their respective contributions afford them contemporary relevance. While they both were philosophers, they led tremendously different lives. Socrates lived from 469 BC to 399 BC, while Aristotle from 384 BC to 322 BC; despite the overlap in their lives, Aristotle was never directly under Socrates 's tutelage. Rather, Aristotle was a pupil of Plato, who was a pupil of Socrates. As a testament to the intellectual climate and diversity of thought characteristic of this era in Hellenic Athens, the two philosophers differed in their fundamental understanding of the