Socrates

Introduction

Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) was an Athenian philosopher who founded **Western philosophy** without writing a single word. Known through the dialogues of his students **Plato** and **Xenophon**, he pioneered the **Socratic method**—relentless questioning to expose ignorance and pursue truth. Rejecting sophistry, he claimed to know nothing except his own ignorance (*“I know that I know nothing”*). Condemned for “corrupting the youth” and “impiety,” he chose death by hemlock over exile, embodying his maxim: **“The unexamined life is not worth living.”** His life fused ethics, dialectic, and civic courage, making him the eternal gadfly of the human mind.

Early Life

Born in **Athens** during the Golden Age of Pericles, Socrates was the son of **Sophroniscus**, a stonemason, and **Phaenarete**, a midwife. Raised in the deme **Alopece**, he trained as a **hoplite** (heavy infantryman) and fought bravely in the **Peloponnesian War**:

**Battle of Potidaea** (432 BCE) – saved **Alcibiades’** life

**Battle of Delium** (424 BCE) – calm retreat under fire

**Battle of Amphipolis** (422 BCE)

Short, stocky, with bulging eyes and a snub nose, he walked barefoot, wore the same cloak year-round, and drank sparingly. Married to **Xanthippe** (notoriously sharp-tongued), he had three sons: **Lamprocles**, **Sophroniscus**, and **Menexenus**.

The Oracle and Mission

In 432 BCE, a friend asked the **Oracle of Delphi** if anyone was wiser than Socrates. The answer: **“No one.”** Puzzled—he claimed no wisdom—Socrates interrogated politicians, poets, and craftsmen, finding they *thought* they knew but did not. He concluded the oracle meant: **wisdom is recognizing one’s ignorance**. Thus began his divine mission:

> “I go about doing nothing but persuading you… to care for virtue more than wealth.” (Plato, *Apology*)

Method and Teachings

| Concept | Summary |

|--------|---------|

| **Socratic Method (Elenchus)** | Ask → Answer → Refute → Revise; strip away false beliefs |

| **Virtue = Knowledge** | No one does wrong willingly; evil is ignorance |

| **Care of the Soul** | “Wealth does not bring virtue, but virtue brings wealth.” |

| **No Teaching, Only Midwifery** | Like his mother, he “delivered” truth from others (*maieutics*) |

| **Irony** | Feigned ignorance to draw out contradictions |

He taught in the **Agora**, gymnasia, and symposia—free of charge, rejecting payment like the Sophists.

Key Associates

**Plato** – Aristocratic student; idealized Socrates in dialogues

**Xenophon** – Soldier-historian; more practical portrait

**Alcibiades** – Brilliant but reckless general; loved and betrayed Socrates

**Critias** – Leader of the **Thirty Tyrants**; later used as evidence against Socrates

**Chaerephon** – Asked the Oracle; died before trial

Trial and Death (399 BCE)

Accused by **Meletus**, **Anytus**, and **Lycon** of:

1. Corrupting the youth

2. Not believing in the city’s gods

3. Introducing new deities (*daimonion* – inner voice)

In the **Apology**, Socrates cross-examined his accusers, refused to beg mercy, and proposed free meals at the Prytaneion as “punishment.” The jury of **501 citizens** voted:

Guilty: **281–220**

Death: **360–141** (after he suggested a small fine)

Imprisoned **30 days**, he rejected escape plans (*Crito*), arguing:

> “One must obey the laws or persuade them.”

On the day of execution, he drank **hemlock** calmly, walking until his legs failed, then lying down as numbness rose. His last words (to Crito):

> “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius; please pay it—don’t forget.”

Physical Description & Habits

Walked with a **waddling gait**; stared fixedly

Endured hunger, cold, and wine without drunkenness

Entered **trances** (once stood motionless for 24 hours at Potidaea)

Claimed a **daimonion** (divine sign) warned him against mistakes

Legacy

**Philosophy**: Founded ethics, epistemology, and political theory; influenced **Aristotle**, **Stoics**, **Cynics**, **Epicureans**

**Education**: Socratic seminars remain a core teaching method

**Law & Politics**: Trial inspired **John Stuart Mill**, **civil disobedience**, and free-speech debates

**Art**: Depicted in **Aristophanes’ *Clouds*** (mocked as sophist), **Plato’s *Symposium*** (on love), **David’s *Death of Socrates*** (1787 painting)

**Modern Echoes**: “Socratic questioning” in therapy (CBT), management, and AI ethics

No statues of Socrates survive—he refused to sit for sculptors—but his silhouette (bald, bearded, snub-nosed) is instantly recognizable. The **Socratic Oath** (“I will question everything”) lives in every skeptic, scientist, and citizen who dares to ask **why**.

Socrates died, but the **examined life**—and the courage to live it—became immortal.