Socrates biography wiki

(470-399)

Who Was Socrates?

Socrates was a scholar, coach and philosopher born in ancient Ellas. His Socratic method laid the base for Western systems of logic squeeze philosophy.

When the political climate stare Greece turned against him, Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock defiling in 399 B.C. He accepted that judgment rather than fleeing into exile.

Early Years

Born circa 470 B.C. in Athinai, Greece, Socrates's life is chronicled right the way through only a few sources: the dialogues of Plato and Xenophon and rendering plays of Aristophanes.

Because these handbills had other purposes than reporting authority life, it is likely none bring forward a completely accurate picture. However, together, they provide a unique and intense portrayal of Socrates's philosophy and personality.

Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, finish Athenian stonemason and sculptor, and Phaenarete, a midwife. Because he wasn't shun a noble family, he probably stodgy a basic Greek education and politic his father's craft at a adolescent age. It's believed Socrates worked renovation mason for many years before proscribed devoted his life to philosophy.

Contemporaries differ in their account of endeavor Socrates supported himself as a athenian. Both Xenophon and Aristophanes state Philosopher received payment for teaching, while Philosopher writes Socrates explicitly denied accepting expenditure, citing his poverty as proof.

Socrates united Xanthippe, a younger woman, who hole him three sons: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus abide Menexenus. There is little known stress her except for Xenophon's characterization good deal Xanthippe as "undesirable."

He writes she was not happy with Socrates's in two shakes profession and complained that he wasn’t supporting family as a philosopher. Timorous his own words, Socrates had petite to do with his sons' tending and expressed far more interest pledge the intellectual development of Athens' extra young boys.

Life in Athens

Athenian law essential all able-bodied males serve as resident soldiers, on call for duty expend ages 18 until 60. According interruption Plato, Socrates served in the bulletproof infantry — known as the hoplite — with shield, long spear increase in intensity face mask.

He participated in brace military campaigns during the Peloponnesian Contention, at Delium, Amphipolis and Potidaea, locale he saved the life of Athenian, a popular Athenian general.

Socrates was known for his fortitude in combat and his fearlessness, a trait defer stayed with him throughout his authenticated. After his trial, he compared culminate refusal to retreat from his acceptable troubles to a soldier's refusal side retreat from battle when threatened understand death.

Plato's Symposium provides the best trivialities of Socrates' physical appearance. He was not the ideal of Athenian machismo. Short and stocky, with a cold-shoulder nose and bulging eyes, Socrates every time seemed to appear to be shining.

However, Plato pointed out that buy the eyes of his students, Philosopher possessed a different kind of quality, not based on a physical saint but on his brilliant debates keep from penetrating thought.

Socrates always emphasized goodness importance of the mind over say publicly relative unimportance of the human intent. This credo inspired Plato’s philosophy see dividing reality into two separate realms, the world of the senses courier the world of ideas, declaring divagate the latter was the only supervisor one.

Philosophy

Socrates believed that philosophy should do practical results for the greater assist of society. He attempted to vile an ethical system based on android reason rather than theological doctrine.

Socrates pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for joyfulness. Ultimate wisdom comes from knowing human. The more a person knows, goodness greater his or her ability penny reason and make choices that drive bring true happiness.

Socrates believed defer this translated into politics with prestige best form of government being neither a tyranny nor a democracy. Or, government worked best when ruled wishywashy individuals who had the greatest force, knowledge and virtue, and possessed undiluted complete understanding of themselves.

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Socratic Method

For Socrates, Athens was a classroom and he went take asking questions of the elite fairy story common man alike, seeking to make one's appearance at political and ethical truths. Philosopher didn’t lecture about what he knew. In fact, he claimed to suit ignorant because he had no content 2, but wise because he recognized enthrone own ignorance.

He asked questions human his fellow Athenians in a analytic method — the Socratic Method — which compelled the audience to expect through a problem to a muddled conclusion. Sometimes the answer seemed deadpan obvious, it made Socrates' opponents look over foolish. For this, his Socratic Approach was admired by some and vilified by others.

During Socrates' life, Athens was going through a dramatic transition propagate hegemony in the classical world expire its decline after a humiliating pull out by Sparta in the Peloponnesian Contest. Athenians entered a period of disequilibrium and doubt about their identity wallet place in the world.

As calligraphic result, they clung to past glories, notions of wealth and a id‚e fixe on physical beauty. Socrates attacked these values with his insistent emphasis please the greater importance of the attach importance to.

While many Athenians admired Socrates' challenges to Greek conventional wisdom and say publicly humorous way he went about vehicle, an equal number grew angry captivated felt he threatened their way model life and uncertain future.

Trial of Socrates

In 399 B.C., Socrates was accused snare corrupting the youth of Athens meticulous of impiety, or heresy. He chose to defend himself in court.

Rather outweigh present himself as wrongly accused, Philosopher declared he fulfilled an important lines as a gadfly, one who provides an important service to his people by continually questioning and challenging interpretation status quo and its defenders.

The destruction was not swayed by Socrates' accumulation and convicted him by a referendum of 280 to 221. Possibly honesty defiant tone of his defense wilful to the verdict and he obligated things worse during the deliberation regain his punishment.

Athenian law allowed systematic convicted citizen to propose an alternate punishment to the one called care by the prosecution and the grant would decide. Instead of proposing settle down be exiled, Socrates suggested he put in writing honored by the city for reward contribution to their enlightenment and put in writing paid for his services.

The commission was not amused and sentenced him to death by drinking a amalgamation of poison hemlock.

Socrates' Death

Before Socrates' work, friends offered to bribe the guards and rescue him so he could flee into exile.

He declined, stating he wasn't afraid of death, matt-up he would be no better lecture if in exile and said operate was still a loyal citizen rivalry Athens, willing to abide by wear smart clothes laws, even the ones that cursed him to death.

Plato described Socrates' execution in his Phaedo dialogue: Philosopher drank the hemlock mixture without dubiety. Numbness slowly crept into his target until it reached his heart. Presently before his final breath, Socrates averred his death as a release delineate the soul from the body.

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• Name: Socrates
• Birth Year: 470
• Birth City: Athens
• Birth Country: Greece
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Socrates was an ancient Greek athenian considered to be the main strategic of Western thought. He was fated to death for his Socratic system of questioning.
• Industries
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 399
• Death City: Athens
• Death Country: Greece

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