Socrates, often regarded as the father of Western philosophy, was known for his relentless questioning of everything and everyone. Despite his dogmatic approach, he left a lasting legacy through the Socratic method, a technique of questioning to seek truth. His early life involved sculpting and studying under philosophers like Anaxagoras. Socrates challenged prevailing ideas, believed in self-examination ("Know Thyself"), and served as a soldier during the Peloponnesian War. His opposition to democracy and association with rebellious figures led to his trial in 399 BCE. Despite a chance to escape, he chose to face death by drinking hemlock, upholding his commitment to Athens' laws and principles.
1. Socrates is considered the father of Western philosophy.
2. He questioned everything and everyone, often imposing his views with a dogmatic superiority.
3. His legacy to the world was the method of questioning to arrive at the truth, known as the Socratic method.
4. Socrates was either born in 469 or 470 B.C.E. in a Greek village located a twenty-minute walk away from Athens.
5. His father, Sophroniscus, was a sculptor while his mother, Phaenarete, worked as a mid-wife.
6. Socrates was recruited as a hoplite, the equivalent of a private, third class, with the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 B.C.E.
7. Socrates was an opponent of democracy, believing that the people as a whole were incapable of self-rule.
8. Socrates was accused of refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state, introducing new divinities, and corrupting the youth.
9. Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death.
10. He refused the offer of escape, stating that it would be a rebellion against the laws of Athens.
11. Socrates drank the poison without hesitation, and slowly lost feeling, first in his legs and then moving up his body.
12. His last words were to Crito, asking him to pay a cock to Asclepius, the God of Good Health.