Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens, who lived around 470 to 399 BCE. He is considered the founder of Western philosophy and one of the earliest moral philosophers. Socrates did not write any texts himself; instead, his ideas and methods are known mainly through the writings of his students, particularly Plato and Xenophon, who depicted him in dialogues that use question-and-answer methods now called the Socratic method. Socrates is famous for his claim of knowing nothing except his own ignorance and for the belief that "the unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates' approach to philosophy involved questioning people's beliefs in order to expose contradictions and stimulate critical thinking. He focused on ethics and how to live a virtuous life. His questioning method aimed to help people discover truth through dialogue. Despite his influence, he was a controversial figure in Athens and was eventually tried and sentenced to death on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. He accepted his death sentence and died by drinking poison hemlock. His legacy endures as the foundation of Western philosophical thought, influencing his student Plato, who in turn taught Aristotle, thus shaping the trajectory of Western intellectual history.
