Socrates (470/469–399 BC) was a classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known primarily through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, as well as the plays of Aristophanes. Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics and for his method of elenchus, a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue used to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. Unlike many philosophers of his time, Socrates left no writings of his own, thus much of what we know about him is derived from the works of others.
He was famously portrayed by Plato as a relentless questioner, seeking to expose contradictions in the thoughts of his interlocutors, aiming to find underlying truths.
Socrates' life ended when he was sentenced to death by drinking a hemlock-based liquid, a punishment handed down to him by the Athenian court for allegedly corrupting the youth of Athens and impiety. His execution has been depicted as a pivotal moment in ancient Greek history, encapsulating the conflict between the search for truth and the politics of the city-state.
Listen to the life of Socrates as depicted by Diogenes Laertius who liven in the 3rd century AD:
You can listen to the Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius here on YouTube:
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