Known as the founder of the Socratic method of questioning, Socrates was a famed social and judicial philosopher. Through his dialogues, his masterful arguments, and his logical method of countering his opponents verbally, he earned a reputation through every household, university, and government office in Greece.

Born to a sculptor and masonry worker in Athens, he followed his father’s chosen career path successfully for several years before devoting himself to the betterment of his own intellectual being. He had interest in the great philosophers of the day, including Plato and Xenophon. After their meeting, Plato continued writing using Socrates’ voice as the narrator of his works, which showed that logic and sound argument could unarm any opponent.

Little do many know that Socrates also led a military life and fought battles for his homeland, as recorded in the Symposium. This work also reveals some of Socrates’ strange behaviors, how he went about his ‘thinking processes by seemingly meditating on an issue for days on end, and how crowds would gather to hear his logic. Although Socrates was not wealthy by any means, he was often invited to the houses of the wealthy, where he was a not afraid to partake of worldly pleasures of song and wine.

Socrates claimed to hear voices that told him about his own moral behavior and would warn him if he were to not meet his own high standards of divine truth and justice. He also concluded that Greece’s wisest persons were not as wise as he because Socrates claimed he saw his own ignorance. One who realizes he is ignorant will become the wisest of all.

Many Athenians in Greece thought that Socrates was polluting the minds of the city’s youth. They accused him of putting ideas into their heads counter to the goals of the Athenian government. In an argument recorded in Apology gives a prime example of Socrates’ argumentative process where he shows that since the government has not thought about the city’s youth, they cannot be imprisoned for their corruption. This style of questioning begins with regular questioning and carries on until logic reaches a definite point and conclusion. His fame, life, philosophy, and logic won him much praise that is still considered the foundation of the philosophies that spread after him.

• Plato
• Aristotle
• Charles Darwin
• Sigmund Freud
• Carl Jung
• Niccolo Machiavelli