Socrates
SocratesSocrates was an ancient Greek thinker whose work proves a major turning point in Western Philosophy. He invented a method of teaching by asking questions, which was called the Socratic method. This method searched for definitions and turned Philosophy from the study of how things are to a consideration of the health of the human soul. Much of this work was brought out by his student, Plato.
Socrates was born in Athens, Greece and lived there all his life. When he did leave it was to serve in the Peloponnesian War. He was married to a woman named Xanthippe and they had two sons. In 399 BC, at about the age of 70, he was accused of impiety and of corrupting the youth of the city by questioning tradition. He was sentenced to death by drinking poison. Many of the details of his life are recorded in Plato's dialogues.
Socrates would challenge anyone with a pretense to knowledge. His friends and followers said his contributions were in the field of moral and logic but the exemplify a philosophical personality. Socrates philosophized by joining in a discussion with another person who thought he knew what justice or courage was. Under this questioning it became clear that neither of them knew. They would then cooperate on a new idea where Socrates would make interrogatory suggestions that were either accepted or rejected by his friend. Finding a solution always failed, but they would continue to search for one whenever possible.
For Socrates knowledge was not accepting a second hand opinion, but personal achievement gained through continuous self-criticism. Philosophy involved not learning the answers but searching for them. The search was more successful when done by two friends; perhaps one being more experienced that the other but both in love with the goal of truth, reality and the willingness to subject themselves honestly to the critical test of reason alone. Socrates had one of the best ways to describe Philosophy. He considered himself greatly gifted to stimulate the thinking of others. He opposed cross-examination in a set pattern. First, the subject claims that he has knowledge of some matter that is proven in a proposition that defines an ethical term. Next there is a series of questions from Socrates that he picks out. Then he takes a number of other propositions that, when put together, prove the difference of the original definition. What is really tested is a person and his false conceit. The argument is examined next to each individual to see if there is false argument. At this point the establishment of truth is not at stake. The question is not whether the person will harm himself to stop his thought but it is his self- confidence that is the...
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