Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, who counted important politicians among his friends, and Phaenarete, a midwife. He was married to Xantippe and had three sons.Philospher and humanist; b. c. 470 BC (Athens, Greece), d. 399 BC (Athens)
Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, who counted important politicians among his friends, and Phaenarete, a midwife. He was married to Xantippe and had three sons.
Socrates witnessed the chaos and moral decline of the Pelopponesian War and spent most of his life trying to find a way to restore private and public moral values.
Socrates did not write anything but had an immense reputation as a man of wisdom and principles. On more than one occasion he resisted repeated requests of the powers of the day to support unjust causes. The writers Aristophanes and Ameipsias made him the subject of comedies in 423 BC, drawing on his lack of concern for worldly posessions - Socrates wore the same coat summer and winter and wore neither shirt nor shoes.
Socrates spent his early years studying astronomy, geometry and other areas of sciences. But the Ionian spirit of scientific investigation was not yet established in Athens, and what was called science was in essence cosmological speculation. Disappointed Socrates turned his attention to the study of the human character. He developed the dialogue as a form of investigation, using logic to test statements when facts were difficult to find.
When the Oracle of Delphi declared him "the wisest of men" Socrates began an inquiry into the truth of this statement. He spent his days walking the streets and the markets trying to find someone wiser than himself. In the end he discovered that he was indeed the wisest of all, because he alone was aware of his own ignorance. His admonition to "know thyself" became his trademark.
His uncorruptible character and his success in exposing pretention and falsehood brought Socrates many followers, particularly under the younger generation, but also made him some powerful enemies. In 399 he was accused of "corruption of the young" and "neglect of the gods whom the city worships and the practice of religious novelties." He was convicted and accepted the prosecutor's plea for the death penalty, refusing to take advantage of an arranged opportunity to escape. He died by drinking a cup of hemlock.
Socrates' ideas and teachings, reported in the writing of contemporaries and followers, particularly Plato, were taken up by the Stoic school of Zeno and contributed to the foundations of European civilization. Socrates ranks with Plato and Aristotle as one of the fathers of European philosophical thought.
Portrait: Roman bust, 1st century, probably a copy of a work by Lysippos, Louvre, Paris; photo © Eric Gaba, CreativeÊCommons AttributionÊShareAlike (Wikipedia)