Who is Socrates?

Socrates (c. 469 – 399 B.C.) was a hugely important Greek philosopher from the Classical period (often known as the Socratic period in his honor. Unlike most of the Pre-Socratic philosophers who came before him, who were much more interested in establishing how the world works, Socrates was more concerned with how people should behave, and so was perhaps the first major philosopher of Ethics. An enigmatic figure is known to us only through other people’s accounts he is credited as one of the founders of Western Philosophy. He is considered by some as the very antithesis of the Sophists of his day, who claimed to have knowledge which they could transmit to others, arguing instead that knowledge should be pursued for its own sake, even if one could never fully possess it. He made important and lasting contributions in the fields of Ethics, Epistemology, and Logic, and particularly in the methodology of philosophy. His views were instrumental in the development of many of the major philosophical movements and schools which came after him, including Platonism Cynicism, Stoicism, and Hedonism. The best-known part of Socrates’ life is his trial and execution. Despite claiming complete loyalty to his city, Socrates’ pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the course of Athenian politics and society. Socrates raised questions about Athenian religion, but also about Athenian democracy and, in particular, he praised Athens’ arch-rival Sparta, causing some scholars to interpret his trial as an expression of political infighting. However, it more likely resulted from his self-appointed position as Athens’ social and moral critic, and his insistence on trying to improve the Athenians’ sense of justice. His “crime” was probably merely that his paradoxical wisdom made several prominent Athenians look foolish in public.

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