An ancient Greek philosopher from Classical Athens who questioned his fellow citizens in the public square rather than writing anything down himself, known mainly through the accounts of his students Plato and Xenophon. His practice of probing question and answer, later named the Socratic method, gave rise to the Socratic dialogue as a literary form. In 399 BC he was tried and convicted of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens, then put to death by poison.
Facts
Birth YearAncient sources give no exact date; conventionally placed around 470 BC (the article's own circa 470 to 399 BC span). Nationality / CultureAncient Greek (Athenian) 1 Defining ContributionOriginator, through his own practice of question-and-answer inquiry, of what was later named the Socratic method. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Theories and Approaches Developed
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Socrates
Wikimedia FoundationSocrates entry, lead sectionQuote, Socrates entry, lead section
The Platonic Socrates lends his name to the concept of the Socratic method, and also to Socratic irony.
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