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Socrates Biography

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Socrates was born in Athens in 470 B.C. His mother was Phaenarete and his was
Sophroniscus. Socrates married Xanthippe. They later had three sons; Lamprocles,
Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. It is believed that Socrates was a stone mason until he started his journey to enlightenment. Socrates lived in the time known as the Golden Age of Greece.
This was a time where there were new ideas in democracy and arts and new ways of thinking.
Socrates was one of the most influential thinkers in the fifth century. He wanted genuine knowledge instead of victory over his opponent. He used the same logic developed by the
Sophists to find a new purpose and pursue the truth. He was willing to call everything into question. He also was determined to have an extensive …show more content…

Second, he would focus on a key word in the discussion and ask for clarification, such as "What is wisdom?". Then he would tell the other person he was confused and ask for help before the conversation progressed. Socrates would listen to the person’s definition of the key word, and then ask for additional clarification. This usually led to the person changing their definition, which would then start the questions from Socrates again. This would continue until the person either realized they didn’t know what they were talking about, and the person would leave the conversation or continuing to search for the answer. Socrates also had his own method or arguments. There were three different ways he would challenge a definition. First, he would find a structural flaw in the definition. This would be if the problem was circular, such as “Justice is what a just person does.” (Lawhead 51) Another type of flaw is when a part is identified with the whole. Such as when justice is used to explain virtue when it is only part of virtue. (Lawhead 51) Definitions can also be flawed if instead of defining the word, a list of examples is given. Second, Socrates would argue by using reductio ad absurdum, which means reducing to absurdity. He would do this by believing his companion’s statement was true, and then showing how it implies an absurd conclusion or a conclusion that contradicts itself. Next, Socrates would use a counterexample to show that the definition …show more content…

Socrates was put on trial for impiety and corrupting the youth in Athens. Socrates was a very controversial figure and was not well liked. He wasn’t liked because the challenged people’s ways of thinking and he also was very critical of the gods that the Athenians worshipped. At that time, people were supposed to fear the gods and to make sacrifices to them and hold festivals to honor them. Some people think that Socrates may not have been convicted due to questioning the gods but because of his untraditional interpretation of the gods and his allegiance to the daimon. Socrates said he heard a voice from when he was a child. The daimon was only heard by Socrates in his own mind. The jurors were very concerned about the daimon, because they thought it might be hostile to Athens. Socrates’ daimon was one of the main reasons he was indicted on the charges of worshipping new

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