GREEK PHILISOPHER SOCRATES

Socrates was described as the wisest of human beings. His life and death shaped the history of Western thought. He proclaimed of knowing nothing (en oida oti outhen ioda). 

Socrates (469-399 BC) grew up in Athens 2.500 years ago. At the time, the Athenians were recovering from the devastating war with the Persians.  As they rebuilt the city the military general and politician Pericles championed democracy as a form of government to bring Greece to its Golden Age.  

The Athenians practiced a direct form of democracy and males over 20 years of age were obliged to take part.  The officials of the assembly were randomly selected through a lottery process and could make executive pronouncements such as deciding to go to war or banishing Athenian citizens.

The Athens of Pericles flourished, and crowds of traders from around the Mediterranean gathered at the port of Piraeus. The active, social, and political lives of Athenians were inspired by the mind of Socrates. 

Alkibiades, a prominent Athenian statesman and general records a story of what might have been the pivotal moment in the development of  Socrates' thinking. 

One morning Socrates became transfixed with a problem that he could not seem to solve, he said a prayer and walked away.

Jonathan Lear argues in his"Tanner Lectures" that Socrates is not just standing because he is lost in thought. He is standing "not knowing what his next step should be because he wants to move in the right direction."  

Socrates never wrote anything down, he hungered for a lively exchange of ideas and believed that writing only served to imprison thoughts in letters. 

Much of what we know about Socrates' activities and conversations and his death is recorded by his devoted student Plato.  

Socrates dedicated his time to questioning his fellow Athenians about friendship and love, justice and piety,  He was searching for the highest of goods, knowledge. 

Socrates, is among the most famous figures in the world's history for his contribution to ancient Greek philosophy which provided the foundation of Western philosophy. He is in fact known as the "Father of Western Philosophy"  for this reason.