Socrates was a great philosopher of ancient Greece, considered the founder of Western philosophy. His life and ideas formed the cornerstone of philosophy, ethics, and logic for centuries to come.
Socrates: A Brief Introduction
Name: Socrates
Born: Around 470 BCE, Athens (Greece)
Died: 399 BCE, Athens (by drinking poison – Hemlock)

Main Contribution: Founder of Western philosophy; regarded as the first moral philosopher.

Source: He did not write any texts himself. All information about him comes from the dialogues of his disciples Plato and Xenophon and the plays of the playwright Aristophanes.
Major disciples: Plato and Xenophon.
Biography and Personal Information Early Life

Birth: Socrates was born in an ordinary family in Athens.
Parents: His father, Sophroniscus, was a stonecutter, and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife.

Profession: Some scholars believe that he initially helped his father in his business and worked as a stone cutter, but later he devoted his entire life to philosophy.

Military service: He served valiantly in the Athenian army as an infantryman (hoplite) during the Peloponnesian War.

Appearance: According to sources, he was rather ungainly—with wide-set eyes, a flat nose, and large lips—but possessed a charming and strong personality. He often walked around public places barefoot and wearing old clothes.

Marriage: He was married to Xanthippe, with whom he had three sons.
Xanthippe is described in some sources as having an 'unpleasant' temper, but little is known about her.

Dedication to Philosophy

Socrates lived the life of a monk or teacher. He never charged for teaching publicly, a fact emphasized by his disciple Plato.

He spent much of his time in the markets and public places of Athens, talking to people, questioning their ideas, and encouraging them to reflect on themselves. Socrates' Philosophy
Socrates focused primarily on moral philosophy, which aimed to understand how to live a good and virtuous life. Some of the most important concepts of Socrates' philosophy are:

1. Socratic Method
Definition: It is a method of discovering truth and developing critical thinking. In it, a person asks questions (e.g., "What do you think this means?", "Can you give an example?") . It examines another person's ideas, uncovers contradictions in their arguments, and ultimately attempts to arrive at a more precise and universal definition. This is also called the question-and-answer method.
This is his famous method of teaching and inquiry, which is also called Dialectical Method or Elenchus.

In this he would start by asking a person questions on a topic (such as justice, beauty, virtue), and test that person's answers with more questions. The purpose of this process was to show that someone who spoke confidently about a subject did not actually have a true and comprehensive understanding of the subject. The goal was not merely to criticize, but to discover the truth.
2. "I know I know nothing" Definition: It is a philosophy of intellectual humility. Socrates made this declaration because he realized that he was ignorant, while others who were ignorant considered themselves wise. This admission inspired him to seek further knowledge. He believes that gaining knowledge begins with admitting one's ignorance.

This is his most famous statement. The Oracle of Delphi (oracle of the temple of Apollo) declared Socrates the wisest man who ever lived.

Socrates explained this predicament as follows: He is the wisest because he knows that he is ignorant, while others, despite being ignorant, consider themselves wise.

This statement emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge and intellectual humility.
3. Virtue is Knowledge
Definition: This is Socrates' central ethical principle. He believed that virtue (such as justice, courage) arises from knowledge. If a person truly knows what is right and good, they cannot commit evil. People do evil only out of ignorance, not intentionally.
Socrates believed that virtue and knowledge are the same.
He argued that no one intentionally does evil. If someone does wrong, it means they are ignorant of true goodness or knowledge. If a person knows what is right, they will do that.
He also believed that 'The unexamined life is not worth living'.
4. Daimonion (Daimonion - voice of conscience)

Socrates often referred to an inner divine voice or sign (daimonion) that prevented him from doing wrong. This was not a god, but a kind of guiding sign. His contemporaries made the accusation of believing in this 'new god' the basis of his trial.

Original Greek meaning: In Greek, the word daimonion means "divine power" or "god-like", but it was also often used to refer to a personal guardian spirit or a force influencing fate. In Socrates' context, this was not like a deity, but an internal sign.
Function: According to Socrates, this voice never commanded him to do anything, but always prevented him from doing wrong. It functioned as a prohibitive or negative signal.
o Example: In Plato's dialogues, Socrates explained that this daimonian voice prevented him from actively participating in politics, because he felt it was not the right path for him.

Relation to truth and reason: For Socrates, this daimonian voice was a kind of intuition on the path to knowledge and reason. It represented his conscience, which kept him from straying from his moral path.
Trial and death (399 BC)
Socrates was a controversial figure in his time. His persistent questioning and questioning of contemporary social norms alienated many powerful people. Charges
At the age of 70, he was tried in the democratic court of Athens on three main charges:
1. Impiety: Not believing in the established gods of Athens.
2. Introducing new gods: Introducing new gods by referring to them as 'Daimonians'.
3. Corrupting the youth: Inducing young people to question and distrust the state and elders.
Outcome and Death
A court of 501 jurors found him guilty.
He was sentenced to death, which he humbly accepted.
He was given the opportunity to flee, which he refused, because he believed that it was a citizen's duty to obey the laws of the state, even if those laws were against him.
Socrates accepted his death with great calmness and courage by drinking the poison called Hemlock in prison surrounded by his friends and disciples.

Legacy and Influence Socrates' life and death became a seminal event in the history of philosophy. He is considered the founder of Western philosophy.

His disciple, Plato, immortalized his ideas through his famous dialogues.
Socrates shifted the focus from the study of the physical world to topics such as morality, justice, virtue, and human life, changing the direction of philosophy forever.

The Socratic method remains a standard tool for critical thinking and debate in the fields of education and law.