Greek Philosopher
[466-399 B.C.]
Socrates was a philosopher of Athens, who is perhaps regarded as the founding father of philosophy. (This is not to say other philsophers did not come before him; on the contrary, they did. He was just more compelling than the rest of them).
Socrates knew the teachings of Parmenides, Heraclitus and Anaxagoras well, but he did not leave any of his own writings. We only know of Socrates through his prized pupil, Plato, who wrote dialogues about him.
As a man, Socrates neglected his own family affairs and duties. Instead, he used the socratic method to gain knowledge from his students and people in Athens. This method consisted of asking a subject a series of questions to finally examine an implication in the end.
Socrates believed that virtue was intimately connected with cognizance of oneself and that no one willingly committed a wrong. In addition, he argued that the soul was connected with a universe that was ordered in a purposeful manner
Unfortunately, Socrates criticism of notable Sophists and Athenians brought him ire from the community and he was tried in 399 B.C and sentenced to death. Socrates willingly drank the cup of poison helmock, staying true to his belief that fear of the unknown was wrong.
Other sources of information
The Window-Socrates
The Last Days of Socrates
