Biography of Socrates, the father of philosophy

Socrates has been one of the most famous men that humanity has produced. Many think that he was the one who gave unity to philosophical activity and that Western thought began to take shape thanks to him. In fact, He is considered the father of philosophy and the greatest of the Greek thinkers.

He was, above all, a man who liked to question and debate intelligently.. He did not take anything for granted and that made him the object of criticism and persecution. Very few tolerated his questioning, which always exposed the fragility of the knowledge and arguments of his contemporaries.

In this article, You will immerse yourself in the life of a man who left a deep mark in various fields of knowledge. Through his revolutionary method of analysis, dialectics, and his educational strategy, maieutics, this thinker did not seek to establish truths, but rather to explore the foundations of thought.

Socrates: his early years

Socrates was born in Athens, in the year 470 BC. c. His father was Sophronisco, a stonemason who participated in the construction of the Parthenon. It is said that when his son was born he consulted the oracle of Delphi and he advised him to let him grow in his own way, without opposing his will or repressing his impulses. His mother was Fenáreta, a midwife whom the philosopher considered his mentor.

It is believed that Socrates belonged to a family with some wealth. As a young child, He worked for a short time as a sculptor, following in his father’s footsteps. Additionally, he served in the military as a hoplite, a type of infantryman who wore heavy armor. At this stage he fought with great courage during the Peloponnesian War.

Generally, only people of higher classes could afford the equipment needed to be a hoplite.

As a sculptor, it is known that he created several statues at the entrance to the Acropolis. He received a normal education for someone of his condition at that time, which was the most flourishing of Ancient Greece.

Very young he married Xanthippe, a woman who became famous for her bad character.. On several occasions there was talk about the couple’s marital conflicts, although there is not enough evidence that they had a relationship as difficult as is sometimes thought.

The training of Socrates

Information about Socrates’ early education is limited, as stated by Beatrice Collina in her book about this philosopher. However, she maintains, in the 6th century BC. C., In Athens, it was common for young people to receive basic education, such as reading and writing. It is likely that Socrates also had this initial training and then expanded his learning due to the flourishing cultural environment of the city at the time.

During that time, several prominent philosophers visited Athens and joined Pericles’ group. So it is likely that Socrates would have interacted with some of them, being influenced by their ideas. For example, Anaxagoras, who taught in Athens for three decades, and his student, Archelaus, who was the teacher who introduced him to philosophy.

It is also possible that Socrates had encounters with other prominent philosophers, such as Parmenides and the sophist Protagoras. Plato, in his writings, mentions debates between his mentor and these thinkers. Therefore, Socrates grew up in a culturally rich environment, which inspired him to pursue philosophy.

A brilliant and humble man

Thanks to the biography of Socrates, today we know that his appearance was a source of ridicule, since he was not handsome. Furthermore, he was very austere, since he always wore the same cloak and his table was very small. He maintained a simple but notable life due to his great intelligence.. In particular, his always incisive questions became famous.

Socrates He stood out for his reasoning and the ease with which he used words in his conversations. Philosophers such as Xenophon, Aristophanes and Plato described him as a wise man passionate about dialogue.

One of his main contributions was the method of dialogue and ethics. His philosophy teaches that the truth is within oneself. Therefore, we do not have to look for it in the world, but rather give birth to it through thought, questioning, and philosophy.

The long walks of Socrates

For a long time, Socrates used to walk around Athens, chatting with young people and adults, whether rich or working. These talks were part of his special way of teaching, called “mayeutics.”

Socrates said that his technique was like the work of a midwife, like his mother was. His goal was to help people “give birth” to their own ideas and discover truths that were already in their minds. He did this by asking questions and questioning the answers they gave him, to see if what they said was real or just a misconception.

In Plato’s writings, we see that Socrates had a particular style of speaking. He would start by praising the person he was talking to and coming across as someone who didn’t know anything. Then, he would ask questions until the person realized that he actually didn’t know much about the topic.

For Socrates, it was important that people realize their ignorance. He said you can’t learn if you think you already know everything. The first step to being wise is to admit that you don’t know. Once the person admitted this, Socrates used maieutics. With more dialogue and questions, he helped the person find a clear answer.

The Socratic method

As we have already outlined a little, his method, maieutics consisted of formulating one question after another, so that a coherent discursive thread was established through the answers. His ability to delve into any subject with great ingenuity began to make him famous and he soon became famous in Athens, and many disciples came to his side.

What this philosopher did was question “the certainties”. His followers loved him because his method made them participate in the construction of knowledge and ideas. His most brilliant student was Plato.. In fact, thanks to the latter, a good part of Socratic thought was recovered, since the father of philosophy never wrote.

Dialogical structure of the method

The Socratic method can be divided into two large parts: Socratic irony and maieutics as a procedure. The first, in turn, is divided into two:

The irony: Socrates acted as if he knew nothing about the topic to be discussed and asked about it ironically. Irony was an attitude that allowed him to suspend his knowledge to listen and help the interlocutor see his own truths.The rebuttal: Through this resource, Socrates demonstrated the person’s ignorance. To do this he exposed the contradictions of ideas and arguments.

After irony and refutation came maieutics. Socrates sought to help a person give birth to new knowledge, after she had stripped away what she knew. Destroy and then build based on a new truth, that was her route.

The philosophy of Socrates

this thinker It broke with the philosophical tradition that, until then, only focused on the cosmos and its origin. Therefore, he inaugurated a turn in the history of Greek philosophy—called the anthropological period—by reflecting on the human being and ethics.

According to Socrates, no one knowingly does wrong.. That is, he defended that man cannot do good if he does not know it. For example, he who deceives his neighbor ignores that the benefits of honesty (trust, honorability, esteem, etc.) are far superior to those that deception can provide (wealth, power, among others).

Likewise, he stated that Human beings aspire to happiness and that only virtuous conduct is what leads them to it.. It should be noted that, for this thinker, virtue is not an innate quality, or one that arises spontaneously in certain men. On the contrary, it can be learned through reasoning.

Thus, wisdom, virtue and happiness are inseparable notions in Socratic philosophy. As we see, knowledge is at the center of Socrates’ ethical reflections, and the first step to achieving it is the acceptance of one’s own ignorance.

Socrates and the sophists

In his time, many people confused him with the sophists; However, he differed from them in several ways. Let’s look at some relevant distinctions:

Teaching methods: The sophists were dedicated to providing specific teachings that had practical use for students, such as the art of oratory. Socrates, on the other hand, sought to stimulate the spirit of his disciples. He did not act like a traditional teacher, but rather used a method called maieutics.which was based on helping the disciple bring to light the ideas he already had inside and analyze them. Teaching economics: The sophists charged for their teachings and, in some cases, obtained large sums of money. Socrates, on the other hand, did not put a price on his teachings. However, not everyone could attend his classes.; reserved the right to admit or reject candidates.Focus on dialogue: Unlike the sophists, who gave lectures or speeches to large audiences, Socrates He preferred dialogue in small groups. His specialty was the short question and answer speech.Political and moral perspective: Socrates agreed with the sophists in his interest in political and moral questions, but took an opposing view in these areas. Socrates believed that political and moral questions should be resolved by experts in the field and he criticized the democratic system of Athens, considering it unfair.

In short, although Socrates and the sophists shared certain interests, they had fundamental differences in their teaching methods, their economic approach, and their political and moral perspectives.

Socratic morality

For Socrates, truth is moral good. When the truth becomes known, one cannot act in any other way than by doing good. Knowledge and virtue are intertwined, therefore, whoever knows respect will act with respect.

Socrates was very interested in the knowledge of virtue with the aim of applying it for the benefit of the polis. Thus, three key aspects of his ethics can be defined:

Happiness: It is the ultimate good of every man and is achieved only through the exercise of a virtuous life. It does not come from pleasures, but from the contemplation of truth and the practice of virtue. Virtue: consists of being what the soul is: good and perfect. It is living in harmony with the soul, with true nature.Science: It is knowing how to do well. It is carrying out what is known, it is the knowledge of virtue.

Friendship

Socrates highly valued friendship and was one of the first philosophers to reflect on its importance. After him, other philosophers, such as Aristotle, also explored the topic.

For Socrates, friendship was closely linked to morality. He believed that only people with…