Considered one of the biggest names in the Philosophy classic, along with Platoand Aristotle, Socrates is famous for having contributed to the first studies in this area, being considered, even, a patron of Western philosophy.
Some doubted the existence of Socrates. However, after the dialogues with his disciples, such as Plato, came to light through written works, he was assured of his life and work.
Life
Sócrates was born in 470/469 a. Ç. in Athens, in the Greece. His parents were Sophroniscus and Phaenarete. He was married to Xanthippe. He had three children: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus and Menexenus.
He was born into a humble family with few financial resources. His father was a sculptor and introduced his son to this craft, which he worked with during his youth.
In addition to being a sculptor, Socrates served in the Athenian army for three seasons. After he retired, he exercised the gifts for which he is best known: that of an educator and a philosopher.
According to reports, Socrates led a simple life. He actively participated in the
democracy of city of athens. He even served the military as a soldier for three years, even participating in thePeloponnesian War (431-404 a. Ç.).Studies detail that Socrates did not have the appearance considered very pleasing to other eyes. He was described as a short, stocky man with large bulging eyes. Plato, his student, even claimed that he was “not at all attractive”. The Athenian was also known to have been portrayed pejoratively in some satires. He had few friends.
Video lesson on Socrates
Constructions
Unlike the pre-Socratics, who discussed issues related to nature, Socrates and the Socratics enjoyed analyzing human issues, their values, truths and foundations.
For the Socratics, men would do better to investigate themselves: the real discovery lay within the human soul, not outside it.
The philosopher was considered by many to be a wise man precisely because he assumed that he did not know anything. The most famous phrase attributed to him is: "I only know that I know nothing". Some consider it the Socrates paradox.
“I only know that I know nothing” is Socrates' most famous phrase
According to reports, Socrates began to act with Philosophy when, while paying a visit to the Oracle at Delphi, they said that he did not know anything made him the wisest man in the world.
Considered by some to be the first Thehave humanistic thoughts, Socrates liked to develop his philosophical reflections in public squares of Athens. He talked to young people, especially about politics and religion, trying to find out what they thought.
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Known for being inquisitive, Socrates enjoyed asking questions to see who knew what. He believed that, by dialoguing, knowledge was reached. Sometimes he pointed out flaws in others' reasoning.
According to the philosopher, not knowing something was positive, as that way it would be possible to walk towards knowledge and, with that, reach safe knowledge.
Also check: Socrates and the inner truth
Experts credit Socrates with creating one of the most important figures of language: a irony. The method is established by interrogating the interlocutor with a series of questions until a contradiction arises, invalidating the initial assumption. To get out of this indecision, the interlocutor would have to practice the exercise of maieutic, which means the art of giving birth.
For some scholars, the Socratic method, whose principle is to build knowledge rather than the mere transmission of ideas, is one of the best forms of teaching ever conceived.
Studies indicate that, by confirming his ignorance, Socrates displayed a kind of wisdom. He was focused on uniting knowledge with doing.
Know more: Irony and Maieutics of Socrates
There are no records and works written by Socrates. At that time, there were difficulties in storing written material. Furthermore, reports indicate that he considered the oral tradition more important.
Socrates entrusted his studies to his disciples. This means that what is really known about him is through his students, including Plato, Xenophon and Aristophanes.
Master of Plato, he was considered the wisest and fairest man in Athens. One of the most famous works portraying the philosopher is Plato's 35 conversational dialogues.
Socrates died from taking hemlock (poison)
Socrates was accused of being an atheist and associating with the sophists, teaching the youth to be wild and disrespectful and thereby corrupting the youth.
The philosopher was also accused of being against democracy, for encouraging people to think, question the rules and develop the intellectual side.
The Council of Five Hundred, an Athenian democratic political body, sentenced Socrates to death for not having believed in the city's gods. However, he could have another pity option. The thinker said that he would rather death than debunk all his philosophical capacity.
With that, in 399 a. C., Sócrates chose to end with its life after ingesting a glass of hemlock (poison), to the 70 years.
By Silvia Tancredi
Journalist
