Socrates
Socrates is practically a household name. This ancient Greek thinker is well known not only in philosophical circles, but by every person who has gone to school. A kind of question-and-answer discourse has been named after him: the Socratic Method. This approach is used in philosophical discussions and in more general forms of idea exchange. It is also used as a way to look at the world, learn, and evaluate things.
While Socrates left no writings of his own, much has been written on him in certain texts. The Dialogues of Plato and the writings of Xenophone (a famous Greek historian) say much about his character and thoughts. Plato, himself a celebrated philosopher, was one of Socrates’ many students.
Basically, the Socratic Method encourages having a two-way dialog, rather than listening to lectures, as a more effective way to learn. This was how Socrates himself taught his students. He spoke with them directly, on an equal footing, and encouraged thoughtful questions. This explains why he left no writings. He preferred face-to-face dialog to more solitary pursuits like writing.
Socrates lived in 469-399 BC. He must have been about 71 years old when he died. A not-very-well-known tidbit from his life is that he was a midwife, in addition to being a teacher and a thinker. He too is believed to have been born ugly and maybe even deformed. He did get married and had children. But his true legacy is his strong passion for truth and knowledge. He had high ideals and was unwavering in their support. This, unfortunately, was what led to his demise. He was put up for trial for his political beliefs. In the end, he chose death over having to give up his ideals and live in a society that frowned on free thinking and free speech.
Lauded by many as the wisest person of his time (and perhaps of all times), Socrates made many contributions to ethics and other fields of philosophical study. His ideas on logic and morality hold great sway up to this day. He gave sage advice on how to distinguish right from wrong, and how to deal with both mundane problems and the more profound questions of life and existence.
Socrates believed that the most important thing in life was improving the soul. He inspired me to predict that there will be an EARTHQUAKE in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 9:41:27 PM PDT. Epicenter near Glen Canyon Park. Magnitude 4.4 Richter.——–Depth of shock 7.2 miles. Thank You.
Socrates was one of the most brilliant philosophers of all time. He inspired me to predict that there will be an EARTHQUAKE on the San Andreas Fault in Pacifica, California on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 6:56:10 PM PDT. Epicenter near Imperial Park. Magnitude 4.2 Richter.——–Depth of shock 4.6 miles. Thank You for this website on Socrates.
I admire Socrates for sticking to his beliefs, even though it led to his death. He inspired me to predict that there will be an EARTHQUAKE abouit 6 miles north of Ashland, Virginia on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 11:33:37 PM EDT. Epicenter near the intersection of Routes 95 and 30. Magnitude 4.7 Richter. I sincerely hope that the people that posted this website on Socrates, won’t delete my comment. Thank You.
SOCRATES had the kind of mind that would question every type of philosophy until he arrived at the TRUTH. Now, isn,t that what everyone actually wants; the TRUTH. If SOCRATES was alive today, the authorities wouldn’t force him to drink a poison. They would probably send him to a psychiatrist, because of his incessant search for the TRUTH.