Socrates, (born c.

470 BCE, Athens [Greece]—died 399 BCE, Athens)was an ancient Greek philosopher
whose way of life, character, and thought exerted a profound influence on Western philosophy. He is, in
fact, known as the "Father of Western Philosophy"

Socrates himself wrote nothing. Some of his dielogues were written down by one of his most brilliant
students, Plato. He is portrayed in these works as a man of great insight, integrity, wisdom, and
argumentative skill. At age 70, he was entenced to death by poisoning on charges of impiety and corruption
of the youth. Soon after Socrates’ death, several members of his circle preserved and praised his memory
by writing works that represent him in his most characteristic activity—conversation. In a culture that
worshipped male beauty, believed in the concept of KALOKAGATHIA (kalos kai agathos: beutiful and
virtuous) which meant that a person who was beautiful on the outside was doubtless beautiful in the
inside, Socrates had the misfortune of being born incredibly ugly. his eyes bulged out of his head and were
not straight but focused sideways. He had a snub nose, which made him resemble a pig, and many sources
depict him with a huge belly. What’s interesting, Socrates never tried hiding how bad-looking he was
because he wanted to show how amazing he was on the inside. He is said to be not worried or scared about
death infact we can say that he was a troublemaker because when he came to trial accused of impiety (he
didn’t agree with the official religion and claimed that when he was about to misbehave a “demon”
stopped him and braught him on the right way- demon NO AS WE MEAN NOWADAYS but a minor deity, no
well identified- CONSCIOUSNESS) and corrupting the youth he wanted to defend himself by using the same
method he taught to his students. The speech was reported in the Apology by Plato. The Socratic method
had the intention to ridicule the ones who thought they were very wise and protect the citizens from the
failure by teaching them to not follow a “wise man” without testing his wisdom. Infact he looked for a
contraddiction in his speech using some short questions. Socretes claimed that no knowledge could pass
from exemples. When he asked ti estì? He wanted a definition. For example if a man claims that it is
virtuous to love the god Zeus, he would ask what is virtue? What is love? Are there other Gods to love? If
they couldn’t even explain what virtue is, how could they say that is virtuous to love Zeus? And if they
couldn’t explain what love is , how could we know if we are really loving Zeus? Socrates believ true wisdom
comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves and the world around
us. He hated the ones who tought they knew everything and called himself an ignorant ( i know i know
nothing) because to reach knowledge u have to admit your ignorance. Btw he used the art of eironeia
(irony, dissimulation) because he pretended he knew nothing about a topic but he perfectly knew what he
was talking about.

As a result, he had the whole conversation in his hands, the whole control to manipulate the interlocutor.
In this way he disproved the sophist who claimed that truth was impossible to reach but truth exists and u
can find it through dialogue.

In addiction, Socrates compared his philosophy to midwifery. A midwife could recognize if a woman was
pregnat and could help her to give birth but she had to be enough old to not be able to have children
anymore. He compared himself to a midwife because he could say if a man had was full of ideas (pregnant)
and helped him to share and to improve his way to share and deliver his knowledge. As a result of this help,
we gain truth. He claimed that his job was hurtuf as a woman who was givin birth because he also had to
suffer to find happiness in what he produced.

Corcerning his death he was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock when he refused exile to not betray
his citizen values saying that he would have still do what he was doing.

Plato dialogues (34 dialogues) con be divided in 3 parts. Usually the first part is the most faithfull to the
speech Socrates actually had. A great conclusion we can arrive to reading these dialogues is that according
to Socrates Epistemolgy and Ethics are really really close because one is the consequence of the other.
Knowledge is finding a definition. Definition has highly importance because it makes us understand the
main essence of a entity (object). Defining is including and excluding. Giving a definition makes people
understand what an entity is and what is not. As an example, in a Platonic dialogue Socrates speeks to
Meno. He is asked what virtue is. The men starts giving a list of examples, claiming that there’s virtue for
every deed, age and event. At first with irony Socrates makes fun of Meno (i was looking for THE virtue
and u named a list of Virtues). Then , What’s that charateristic that makes you virtuous? How do you
recognize virtuousness?. At end the men has to admit his ignorance. Socrates claims virtue is a form of
knowledge because if i have the definition of virtue i can recognize a virtuous man and a virtuous action. As
a result of this we can say that knowing is possessing a concept.

In addiction Socrates thought that virtue could have been taught because it is linked to knowledge. The
ones who are ignorant also lack in virtue because if you have the concept of fairness you won’t act bad.
What Socrates underestimated was will because he thought it didn’t matter. He believed in Ethical
Intellectualism to reach EUDAIMONIA (eu- buono, daimonia- deity), a condition of well-being. The ones
who don’t have knowledge inevitably won’t act virtuosly because they will look for happiness wasting
money and with physical pleasure.