Philosopher · 470 BC – 399 BC
Socrates
Key Takeaways
- Socrates wrote nothing himself; we know him through his students Plato and Xenophon.
- The Socratic method — relentless questioning — remains a cornerstone of education and law.
- He was tried and executed in Athens for "corrupting the youth" and impiety.
- His insistence that "the unexamined life is not worth living" reframed philosophy around ethics.
Socrates is the philosopher who turned thought inward. Though he left no writings, his relentless questioning and his dramatic death made him the model of the examined life and the founder, in many accounts, of Western philosophy itself.
The man who knew nothing
Socrates roamed the Athenian agora engaging citizens in dialogue, probing their certainties about justice, courage and virtue until contradictions surfaced. This method — the elenchus — was less about supplying answers than exposing ignorance.
Trial and death
In 399 BC, Athens tried Socrates for impiety and corrupting its youth. Refusing to flee or recant, he accepted execution by hemlock, an act of principle dramatized forever in Plato’s Apology and Phaedo.
Influence
Socrates is the hinge of ancient philosophy — thinkers before him are called the 'Pre-Socratics'. His method and martyrdom shaped Plato, the Stoics, and the entire Western conception of the philosopher.
Legacy
The 'Socratic method' endures in classrooms and courtrooms, and his trial remains a touchstone for debates about free thought and the state.
Controversies
- Condemned to death by an Athenian jury in 399 BC on charges of impiety and corrupting the young.
Notable Quotes
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
“I know that I know nothing.”
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Socrates?
Socrates (470–399 BC) was an Athenian philosopher regarded as a founder of Western philosophy, known for the Socratic method and his execution by hemlock.
Why was Socrates executed?
An Athenian court convicted him of impiety and 'corrupting the youth'; he was sentenced to die by drinking hemlock.
Citations & Sources
- Plato — Apology, Crito, Phaedo.
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — 'Socrates'.
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