*
*
Socr
at
es:
ThePhi
l
osopherWhoShapedWest
er
nThought
*
*
Socr
at
es,
aneni
gmat
i
cf
i
gur
ei
nt
heannal
sofphi
l
osophy
,
cont
i
nuest
ocapt
i
v
at
et
hemi
ndsof
schol
ar
sandl
ay
peopl
eal
i
kecent
ur
i
esaf
t
erhi
st
i
me.Bor
ni
nAt
hensar
ound470BCE,
hel
ef
tno
wr
i
t
t
enr
ecor
dsofhi
sown,
y
ethi
si
deasandmet
hodswer
ei
mmor
t
al
i
zedt
hr
ought
hewr
i
t
i
ngsof
hi
sst
udent
s,
mostnot
abl
yPl
at
o.Despi
t
ehi
sl
ackofwr
i
t
t
enwor
ks,
Socr
at
es'
pr
of
oundi
nf
l
uence
onWest
er
nt
houghtcannotbeov
er
st
at
ed.
*
*
Li
f
eandBackgr
ound*
*
Socr
at
eswasbor
ni
nt
omodestci
r
cumst
ances,
hi
sf
at
herbei
ngast
onemasonandhi
smot
hera
mi
dwi
f
e.Despi
t
ehi
shumbl
eor
i
gi
ns,
her
ecei
v
edaneducat
i
oni
nAt
hens,
st
udy
i
ngunder
pr
omi
nentt
hi
nker
sofhi
st
i
me.Heser
v
edasahopl
i
t
ei
nt
hePel
oponnesi
anWar
,
anexper
i
ence
t
hatl
i
kel
yshapedhi
sphi
l
osophi
cal
out
l
ookonl
i
f
eandmor
al
i
t
y
.
*
*
TheSocr
at
i
cMet
hod*
*
Oneoft
hemostendur
i
ngl
egaci
esofSocr
at
esi
shi
sepony
mousmet
hodofi
nqui
r
y
.Rat
hert
han
pr
ov
i
di
nganswer
s,
Socr
at
esempl
oy
edadi
al
oguebasedappr
oachai
medatst
i
mul
at
i
ngcr
i
t
i
cal
t
hi
nki
ngandsel
f
exami
nat
i
on.Thr
oughaser
i
esofpr
obi
ngquest
i
onsandl
ogi
cal
ar
gument
s,
he
woul
dl
eadhi
si
nt
er
l
ocut
or
st
oconf
r
ontt
hei
rownassumpt
i
onsandbel
i
ef
s.Thi
smet
hod,
known
ast
heSocr
at
i
cmet
hod,
r
emai
nsacor
ner
st
oneofphi
l
osophi
cal
di
scour
seandpedagogyt
ot
hi
s
day
.
*
*
Phi
l
osophi
cal
Themes*
*
Socr
at
es'
phi
l
osophi
cal
i
nqui
r
i
esspannedawi
der
angeoft
opi
cs,
f
r
om et
hi
csandpol
i
t
i
cst
o
epi
st
emol
ogyandmet
aphy
si
cs.Cent
r
al
t
ohi
sphi
l
osophywast
hepur
sui
tofwi
sdom andt
he
i
mpor
t
anceofl
eadi
nganexami
nedl
i
f
e.Hef
amousl
ydecl
ar
edt
hat"
t
heunexami
nedl
i
f
ei
snot
wor
t
hl
i
v
i
ng,
"emphasi
zi
ngt
hev
al
ueofi
nt
r
ospect
i
onandsel
f
awar
eness.
*
*
TheTr
i
al
andDeat
hofSocr
at
es*
*
Socr
at
es'
uncompr
omi
si
ngcommi
t
mentt
ot
r
ut
handv
i
r
t
ueul
t
i
mat
el
yl
edt
ohi
sdownf
al
l
.I
n399
BCE,
hewasbr
oughtt
ot
r
i
al
onchar
gesofi
mpi
et
yandcor
r
upt
i
ngt
hey
out
hofAt
hens.Despi
t
e
mount
i
ngaspi
r
i
t
eddef
ense,
Socr
at
eswasf
oundgui
l
t
yandsent
encedt
odeat
hbydr
i
nki
ng
poi
sonheml
ock.I
nhi
sf
i
nal
moment
s,
her
emai
nedst
eadf
asti
nhi
sconv
i
ct
i
ons,
choosi
ngt
o
accepthi
sf
at
er
at
hert
hancompr
omi
sehi
spr
i
nci
pl
es.
*
*
Legacy
*
*
Al
t
houghSocr
at
es'
phy
si
cal
exi
st
encewasext
i
ngui
shed,
hi
sl
egacyendur
edandf
l
our
i
shedi
n
t
hecent
ur
i
est
hatf
ol
l
owed.Hi
si
deaswer
ecar
r
i
edf
or
war
dbyhi
sdi
sci
pl
es,
mostnot
abl
yPl
at
o,
whoi
mmor
t
al
i
zedhi
sment
ort
hr
oughhi
sdi
al
ogues.Ar
i
st
ot
l
e,
anot
herofhi
sst
udent
s,
bui
l
t
uponSocr
at
es'
f
oundat
i
onsandl
ai
dt
hegr
oundwor
kf
orWest
er
nphi
l
osophyasweknowi
t
t
oday
.
*
*
Socr
at
i
cI
nf
l
uence*
*
Thei
nf
l
uenceofSocr
at
esext
endsf
arbey
ondt
her
eal
m ofphi
l
osophy
.Hi
semphasi
soncr
i
t
i
cal
t
hi
nki
ngandsel
f
exami
nat
i
onhasper
meat
edv
i
r
t
ual
l
yev
er
yaspectofWest
er
nt
houghtand
cul
t
ur
e.Fr
om t
hesci
ent
i
f
i
cmet
hodt
ot
hepr
i
nci
pl
esofdemocr
acy
,
Socr
at
es'
l
egacycanbeseen
i
nt
hei
nt
el
l
ect
ual
andmor
al
f
abr
i
cofmoder
nsoci
et
y
.
*
*
Concl
usi
on*
*
Socr
at
es,
t
hei
coni
cphi
l
osopherofanci
entAt
hens,
l
ef
tani
ndel
i
bl
emar
konWest
er
nt
hought
t
hr
oughhi
si
nnov
at
i
v
emet
hodsandpr
of
oundi
nsi
ght
s.Despi
t
el
i
v
i
ngov
ert
womi
l
l
enni
aago,
hi
s
i
deascont
i
nuet
or
esonat
ewi
t
hcont
empor
ar
yaudi
ences,
i
nspi
r
i
nggener
at
i
onsoft
hi
nker
st
o
quest
i
on,
r
ef
l
ect
,
andseekwi
sdom i
nt
hei
rownl
i
v
es.Asl
ongast
hepur
sui
toft
r
ut
handv
i
r
t
ue
r
emai
nsacent
r
al
t
enetofhumanci
v
i
l
i
zat
i
on,
t
hespi
r
i
tofSocr
at
eswi
l
l
endur
e.