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Socrates: The Enigmatic Father of Western Philosophy

Viewed by many as the foundational figure of Western philosophy, Socrates (469–399 B.C.) remains both the most exemplary and the most enigmatic of all Greek philosophers. He lived during the golden age of Athens under the leadership of Pericles, served with distinction as a soldier in the Peloponnesian War, and became renowned not for writing philosophical treatises but for his relentless questioning of everything and everyone. His distinctive method of teaching—immortalized as the Socratic method—did not involve direct instruction but rather a series of probing, clarifying questions designed to lead his students toward their own intellectual revelations.

Unlike many other philosophers of antiquity, Socrates left no written records of his own. Everything we know about him comes from the writings of his students and contemporaries, most notably Plato and Xenophon. His controversial approach to philosophy, his willingness to challenge authority, and his rejection of traditional Athenian norms ultimately led to his trial and execution. Rather than fleeing in the face of death, he chose to spend his final days among friends before drinking a cup of hemlock, accepting his sentence with unwavering composure. #philosophy #socrates