The Three Sages: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle

Social Studies 122014 – 2015

BHVSD: Harrison Career Center

Socrates (469 B.C. – 399 B.C.)

Socrates (469 B.C. – 399 B.C.)

What do we know about Socrates?Key Question #1

What do we know about Socrates?

•Socrates came from a middle-class family in ancient Athens – his father was a stonemason and his mother was a midwife.

•Historians know very little about his youth.

What do we know about Socrates?

•He served in the military during the Peloponnesian War and was an excellent soldier.

•His peers stated he had “Herculean” physical strength.

What do we know about Socrates?

•Historians state he was not very handsome and he did not care about his appearance at all.

•Between the ages of 40 and 70, he lived modestly and relied on his inheritance and state subsidies.

What was the Socratic Dialogue?Key Question #2

What was the Socratic dialogue?

•Socrates’s singular method of asking questions to individuals and forcing them answer his questions caused people to think for themselves.

•This is known as the “Socratic dialogue”.

What was the Socratic dialogue?

•Socrates’s was very good at causing people to see their ideas as being foolish.

•His method caused the Oracle at Delphi to pronounce Socrates as the wisest man in the world.

Why was Socrates put on trial?Key Question #3

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•As Socrates became more popular, the Athenian government charged Socrates with impiety and corrupting the Athenian youth.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•Socrates argued before the court with an eloquent speech known today as the Apology.

• In his Apology, Socrates argued the most important thing is to live a virtuous life.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•Doing the right thing and avoiding wrongdoing was what life was all about.

•Being virtuous was its own reward; doing wrong is its own punishment.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•There is nothing worse than being a bad person.

•Socrates stated he did not fear death during his speech because he had not reason to fear an eternity in paradise.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•Nevertheless, the Court found Socrates guilty of impiety and corrupting the Athenian youth.

•As was the custom of the day, Socrates was allowed to chose the method of his punishment.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•Socrates chose to drink hemlock and die in the company of his family and friends.

•His last act was to take a long bath and drink the poison.

What was the Socrates put on trial?

•His last words were:

•Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?