Socrates – 470/469 – 399 BC
Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. –
Socrates (/ˈsɒkrətiːz/;[2] Greek: Σωκράτης [sɔːkrátɛːs], Sōkrátēs; 470/469 – 399 BC) was a classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes.
Socrates – [Wikipedia ➜ Socrates – ]
| Born | 470/469 BC[1] Deme Alopece, Athens |
|---|---|
| Died | 399 BC (aged approx. 71) Athens |
| Cause of death | Sentenced to death by drinking a poison |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Classical Greek |
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Main interests
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Epistemology, ethics |
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Notable ideas
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Socratic method, Socratic irony, I know that I know nothing |
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Socrates – [slatermuseum.org ➜ Socrates – ]
The Athenian philosopher Socrates (496-399 BCE) lived during the Periclean Age, a period referred to as the “Golden Age of Greece”. Although he is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, Socrates reputedly never wrote. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his student Plato, who became a teacher of Aristotle who, in turn, was one of the teachers of Alexander the Great. He is also known through the writings of Xenophon and through the plays of his contemporary, Aristophanes.
Through his portrayal in Plato’s dialogues, Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics. It is this Platonic Socrates who also lends his name to the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic method, or elenchus. The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions are asked not only to draw individual answers but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand. It is Plato’s Socrates that also made important and lasting contributions to the fields of epistemology and logic, and the influence of his ideas and approach remains strong in providing a foundation for much western philosophy that followed. ( http://www.slatermuseum.org/cast/15-portrait-of-socrates/)
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Quotes by Socrates ***
*** Socrates left no writings of his own, thus our awareness of his teachings comes primarily from a few ancient authors who referred to him in their own works
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“I myself know nothing, except just a little, enough to extract an argument from another man who is wise and to receive it fairly.” – (words of Socrates from Theaetetus),
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“Anyone who holds a true opinion without understanding is like a blind man on the right road. ” – (words of Socrates from Plato),
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Often when looking at a mass of things for sale, he would say to himself, ‘How many things I have no need of!” – (words of Socrates as quoted in Diogenes Laertius’ Lives of Eminent Philosophers),
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Key-4-Learning 