Socrates
ancientClassical Greek Philosophy-470 – -399
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens, widely regarded as one of the founders of Western philosophy. Known primarily through the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, he developed the Socratic method of inquiry and focused philosophy on ethics, the examined life, and the pursuit of virtue.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed the Socratic method of dialectical questioning
2
Shifted Greek philosophy from cosmology to ethics and epistemology
3
Defended the unity of virtue and knowledge against the Sophists
4
Accepted his own death sentence as a demonstration of philosophical integrity
5
Founded the intellectual tradition continued by Plato and the Socratic schools