Knowledge is Power (7) - Who was Socrates?
Socrates (469/470-399 BCE) was a Greek philosopher, considered the father of western philosophy. His most famous student was Plato, which is the main source of our information of Socrates, as Socrates did not leave anything in writing.
Sting [CC BY-SA 2.5 ], via Wikimedia Commons
When Socrates was middle-aged, one of his friends asked the famous Oracle at Delphi if there was anyone wiser than Socrates, to which the Oracle answered, "None."
Shocked by this answer and hoping to prove the Oracle wrong, Socrates started to question people who were held to be 'wise'. He found, to his dismay, "that the men whose reputation for wisdom stood highest were nearly the most lacking in it, while others who were looked down on as common people were much more intelligent" (Plato, Apology, 22).
The youth of Athens were delighted to see Socrates questioning their elders and, soon, most of them followed him and his teachings.
Socrates' main focus was on how to live a good and virtuous life. According to Plato's Apology, Socrates said that "an unexamined life is not worth living" (Plato, Apology, 38b). So clearly, he inspired his followers to think for themselves instead of following the dictates of society and the accepted superstitions concerning the gods and how one should behave.
His philosophical teachings angered many of the important men of the city who accused him of breaking the law by violating the society's customs. Socrates was taken to trial, found guilty and asked to propose a penalty. He jokingly suggested that if he were to get what he deserved, he should've been given a great meal because he did a great service to the state. When the jury sentenced him to death, Socrates accepted the verdict, stating that he has no fear, as only the gods know what happens after death and one can't fear something that one does not know.
After his death, Socrates' disciples wrote their experiences with their teachers and formed their own philosophical schools. We have the works of Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes and Aristotle, that tell us about Socrates' life.
Socrates' search for Truth was admirable and truly changed the world and the way we perceive it.
Reference: (https://www.ancient.eu/socrates/)
This post is a part of my series "Knowledge is Power". In case you missed the previous articles, you can read them here:
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