Socrates Biography

Socrates was known in Athens for his physical and mental capacities, and powers of endurance. He had a reputation as a fighting-man. He roamed the streets of Athens wearing the same single garment winter and summer, and habitually went barefoot. Plato, his childhood friend, speaks of Socrates as being “more than one way singular.” He supposedly had a mysterious voice or supernatural sign which was always with him. Some believe this played a significant role in his philosophy and teaching of others.

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

Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy. On one hand he is the most influential on another he is the least known. In his later life he is seen to stalk the streets barefoot, to spite shoemakers. He went about arguing and questioning people and revealing inconsistencies in their beliefs. He began teaching students but never accepted payments for doing so. This was possible because of the inheritance left by his father. Socrates wrote nothing of himself so we are dependent upon the works of both his students and associates who present a view as close to

Justice and court cases in Athenian democracy had become a place for taking revenge during Socrates trial. A trial in Athens was a speech competition in which opposing parties gave speeches to persuade the general public, in other words the jury of 500, that you had the magic in your words to win your case. Socrates’ accusers charge him of many official and unofficial charges; such as corrupting the youth and making the smaller argument larger. However, Socrates was not guilty of any of the charges made against him, mainly because they were made out of hatred towards Socrates and the new philosophy of life that Socrates had unveiled to the naked eye of the, “men of Athens” (Apology, 18b). Once Socrates finds out about his wisdom he sets out to test it, by asking various people of Athens, questions about the philosophy of life, virtue, and wisdom.

Socrates spent his time questioning people about things like virtue, justice, piety and truth. The people Socrates questioned are the people that condemned him to death. Socrates was sentenced to death because people did not like him and they wanted to shut him up for good. There was not any real evidence against Socrates to prove the accusations against him. Socrates was condemned for three major reasons: he told important people exactly what he thought of them, he questioned ideas that had long been the norm, the youth copied his style of questioning for fun, making Athenians think Socrates was teaching the youth to be rebellious. But these reasons were not the charges against him, he was charged with being an atheist and

     Credibility: I am able to speak on this topic because I have taken a philosophy course, and I have done extensive research in to Socrates life.

Socrates is considered the top philosopher of all time. He has influenced more people in history than anyone other than Jesus. Socrates worked hard throughout his life to try to make people think deeper beyond the everyday thought and that of moral ethics. Socrates wanted to define what was morally right from wrong. This is what derived the Socratic Method. (Bishop) It was what Socrates considered to be the way a person should live their life. The thing that set Socrates apart from others, though, was that he stuck to this Socratic Method so persistently that is finally led to his death. At a time when many people would have thrown it out the window to save their life, he was bound to it. Socrates wanted to leave

Socrates was born in 469 BC in Athens (where he lived all his life) as

Around the 6th century B.C.E small group of Greek philosopher stating to change their view or ideas from the supernatural explanations to intellectual alternatives. Many Greek philosophers lived in the city of Miletus. In this essay I will write about one of the earliest philosophers in Athens Socrates. Before I write about his life I would talk about his panel. Panel death of Socrates painted in oil in 1787 by French painter Jacques-Louis David. The panel shows that Socrates surrounded by few people and they were not happy about the government decision on Socrates. The people around him were crying and Socrates was not afraid to face the death.

Socrates did not invent philosophy. There were several intellectuals and schools of thought before him that began the work of questioning the nature of life, fate, free will, the gods and human duty. However, it was Socrates who shifted the focus of philosophical inquiry from the natural world to the examination of man himself, which proved to be an remarkable advance, forever changing the purpose of philosophy. Therefore, it is noteworthy to identify the Presocratic Greek philosophers who have helped shape Socrates’ own philosophical inquiry. Equally important is to understand which intellectual traditions he was reacting against by virtue of his philosophical

Somewhere between the years of 416 and 413 B.C.E. Socrates married Xanthippe and fathered two children, Lamprocles and Sophroniscus. In 406 Socrates stood up for the rights of a group generals who were being unfairly sentenced to death as a group. This was unfair mainly because the law of Athens stated that each individual was to be given a separate trial. (1)

If there ever was a list people who sought to explore and understand wisdom, knowledge, and life with a passion, Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC) would most likely be at the very top of that list. As a philosopher, Socrates never wrote any philosophical works of his own and he conducted philosophy by engaging conversations with anyone who would talk with him. These discussions that are detailed in Plato's Dialogues usually involve Socrates asking questions that eventually make his conversant question their own beliefs. Unfortunately, the self-doubt and possible embarrassment that many felt after conversing with Socrates was impactful enough that the Athenian assembly eventually agreed to have Socrates put to death. Socrates had many chances to escape his punishment, but he choose to accept his fate and face death. He even regarded cowardice and hypocrisy as fates worse than death. For this, Socrates is as influential for his character as he is for his philosophical ideas. All of Socrates' conversations seem to have a common theme. What is it besides the search for what is true and correct? There is a relation that must take place for one to acquire true understanding.

Socrates, probably one of the most influencial people in history, was born in 469 B.C in Athens, Greece. His parents were Sophroniscus the stonemason and Phaenarete the midwife. He grew up during the golden age of Pericles' Athens and always had an incentive to learn. His family wasn't noble so Socrates probably received basic education and became an apprentice of his father. However, they were apparently moderately wealthy, at least enough to give way to his career as a foot soldier, otherwise known as a hoplite. Socrates was a good soldier, showing all the necessary qualities like courage, fearlessness, and physical fitness. He ended up rescuing Athens' future leader, Alcibiades during the siege of Potidaea while deployed. Though he spent much time away because of the Peloponnesian War, Socrates spent his time in Athens becoming popular to other youthful Athenian citizens. In 423, he starred in a drama named Clouds. It was written by Aristophanes and portrayed Socrates as a fool whose philosophy amounted to teaching rhetorical tricks for repaying his debt. In this play was where he was introduced to the rest of the public.

Socrates was a great philosopher from Ancient Greece. He was the teacher of Plato and Aristotle. While Socrates did not write down what he taught those who studied with him and underneath him made sure his works and legacy would live on. When the class was first

Socrates has inspired many people throughout the years, especially philosophers. He had a unique way of understanding and teaching morality. Most people would think that learning by example is easier than learning by definition, but everyone learns differently. Socrates learned by definition and not example. That is written about in Plato’s early dialogues. Plato was one of Socrates best students. He admired how Socrates questioned everything and how he was so intellectual about different subjects. Throughout the dialogues that he wrote Plato mentioned how Socrates had different methods of teaching. He preferred to have a discussion about the topic. That is the Socratic Method. He also used craft analogy. These methods were different from how anyone was thinking during that time period. Socrates had many different ways of teaching his students. Socrates’ methods proved to be quite affective and they are still being used today to teach and to learn.