Sókrates

Sókrates (c. 470/469–399 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher of Athens and a foundational figure in Western philosophy. He did not write philosophical treatises; what is known about his ideas comes mainly from his students, such as Plato and Xenophon, and from plays by Aristophanes. He is best known for the Socratic Method, or elenchus, a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue aimed at exposing contradictions in definitions and beliefs and to stimulate critical reflection. Through questioning, he sought to define ethical concepts such as virtue, justice, and piety, arguing that virtue is knowledge and that wrongdoing results from ignorance.

Sókrates spent much of his time in public spaces discussing moral and political topics, challenging the pretensions of Athenian citizens and contrasting his own philosophy with the Sophists, who taught rhetorically persuasive but morally suspect skills for pay. He maintained that he had a divine inner voice or daimonion that guided his actions.

In 399 BCE, Sókrates was tried by the Athenian council on charges of impiety (asebeia) and corrupting the youth. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock. He accepted the sentence rather than escaping, as his philosophical commitments were more important than his life.

Sókrates’ ideas profoundly influenced his students, most notably Plato, and through them the development of Western philosophy, including ethics, epistemology, and political philosophy. His method and legacy continue to be studied as a foundational moment in the history of philosophical inquiry.