Who are these philosophers?
I was born in 428BCE into an old Athenian family and died in 347BCE. I considered a career in Politics but
decided against it because of the way Athenian society treated and executed a devoted teacher of mine. I left
Athens after the death of my teacher but later returned and founded a school of philosophy called the
Academy. I produced thirty-six philosophical dialogues. I had a great teacher and many of my dialogues are
dedicated to his ethical ideals. In my work I refined my teachers belief in the objectivity of truth, goodness,
justice etc. For example in one of my dialogues the Republic I argued that the health of the state is crucially
dependent on it being governed by those who love wisdom - whose lives are lived in the light of the Good
rather than those whose lives are blinded by their own illusions.
Who am I?
I was born in 384BCE the son of a physician of the Macedonian king. I studied as a pupil of the Academy
in Athens. I remained there for many years as a pupil and teacher. I was a devoted pupil and friend of the
founder of the Academy. After his death I left Athens to work as tutor to Alexander the Great. Returning to
Athens in 33 BC I taught philosophy and later founded my own school of philosophy. I wrote on an
extraordinary diverse range of subjects, much of which has not survived intact. I also worked in the natural
sciences particularly zoology and biology. People say I laid the foundations or the biological sciences. I
died in 322BCE.
I lived in Athens in the second half of the fifth century BCE (470 -399BCE) I was an promoter of the art of
'illogical reasoning and taught it to a famous student. I left no written record of my philosophy and people
Who am I?
I lived in Athens (BCE 470 – 399). I was a promoter of the art of dialogical reasoning and taught it to a
famous student. I left no written record of my philosophy and people are dependent on the early dialogues
of a student of mine to give them a sense of my philosophy. My death from hemlock poisoning arose
directly as a result of the challenge that my ethical philosophy posed to the democracy in Athens. Accused
falsely of introducing new gods and corrupting the youth I was found guilty by an Athenian court and
sentenced to death. I could have saved my life by appealing for leniency and agreeing to go into exile or by
escaping from prison but my conscience would not allow me to follow this course of action. As I saw it "the
really important thing is not to live but to live well”. Living well is to live honourably or rightly even if it
means accepting the inevitability of my death. I argue that it is not permissible to do wrong, i.e. to escape
from prison, no matter what the circumstances, even if one has been wronged oneself. I offer a spirited
defence of the state and the duty of citizens to obey its laws. A city cannot continue to exist if the legal
judgments which are pronounced in it are nullified by private citizens.
Who am I?