Socrates Biography

Socrates was a teacher, scholar and philosopher born in ancient Greece. He had a Socratic method and this has laid the groundwork for Western systems of philosophy and logic. 

When the political environment in Greece turned against Socrates in 399 B.C., he was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning.

Socrates Short Biography

Let us look at Socrates biography in detail.

Early Years

Socrates was born circa 470 B.C. in Athens, Greece; his life is chronicled through only some of the sources: the plays of Aristophanes and the dialogues of Plato and Xenophon. 

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Because these writings had some other purposes compare to his reporting his life, it is likely no one present a completely accurate picture. They have, however, produced a distinctive and vivid representation of Socrates' personality and ideas as a whole.

Sophroniscus, a sculptor and Athenian stonemason, and Phaenarete, a midwife, were Socrates' parents. He probably had minimal Greek education and learnt his father's skills at a young age because he did not come from a noble household. It is believed that Socrates worked as a mason for several years before he devoted his life to philosophy. 

Socrates' support as a philosopher has been described in various ways by his contemporaries. While both Aristophanes and Xenophon indicate that Socrates was paid for teaching, Plato clearly states that Socrates rejected receiving payment, citing his poverty as proof.

Socrates married a younger woman named Xanthippe, who bore him 3 sons named Lamprocles, Sophroniscus and Menexenus. Except for Xanthippe of Xenophon's description of her as "undesirable," little is known about her.

He claims that she was dissatisfied with Socrates' second occupation and claimed that he was not providing for his family as a philosopher. By his own words, Socrates had something little to do with his upbringing of the son and expressed far more interest in the intellectual development of other young boys of Athen. 

Life in Athens

To start the life history of Socrates, the law of Athenian required all able-bodied males to serve as citizen soldiers, on-call for duty from the ages falling between 18 - 60. Socrates, according to Plato's view, served in the hoplites, an armoured infantry unit with a long spear, shield, and face mask.

During the Peloponnesian War, he has participated in three military campaigns at Delium, Potidaea and Amphipolis, where he saved the life of the Alcibiades, who is a popular Athenian general. 

Socrates was recognised for his bravery in battle and his fearlessness, qualities that he carried with him throughout his life. After his particular trial, he compared his refusal to retreat from his legal troubles to a refusal of soldiers to retreat him from battle when threatened with death.

The Symposium of Plato provides the best details of the physical appearance of Socrates. He was also not Athenian masculinity's ideal. Stocky and Short, with bulging eyes and a snub nose, Socrates always seemed to appear to be staring. 

Plato, on the other hand, has noted that Socrates possessed a distinct kind of attraction in the eyes of his students, which was based on his perceptive thinking and brilliant debates rather than the physical ideal. 

Socrates was always emphasising the primacy of the mind over the human body's relative insignificance. This credo influenced Plato's concept of splitting reality into two distinct realms, referred to as the world of the senses and the world of ideas, with the latter being the most essential. This is the life history of Socrates.

Philosophy

Socrates believed that philosophy should produce practical effects for the benefit of society as a whole. He also attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reasons rather than theological doctrine. 

Socrates also stated that human decision-making is driven solely by the desire for happiness. And knowing oneself is the source of ultimate wisdom. The more a person knows about him/her, the greater their ability to reason and make choices that will bring true happiness. 

Socrates felt that this translated into politics, with neither democracy nor tyranny being the greatest form of government. Instead, the government worked best when ruled by individuals who had the greatest knowledge, ability and virtue, and possessed a complete understanding of themselves.

Socratic Method

Socrates saw Athens as a classroom, and he went about asking questions of both the elite and the average man in order to arrive at ethical and political truths. Socrates did not lecture about what he is aware of and knows. But, in fact, he claimed to be ignorant because he had no ideas in his mind, but he is wise because he recognized his own ignorance. 

He used the dialectic approach, which is the Socratic method of forcing the audience to think through an issue to a logical conclusion, to ask some questions of his fellow Athenians. At times, the answer seemed so obvious; it made the opponents of Socrates look foolish. For this, his Socratic Method was admired by a few and also vilified by others.

Athens was in the midst of a dramatic shift from hegemony in the classical world to decline after a humiliating defeat by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War during Socrates' life. Athenians have entered an instability period and doubt their place and identity in the world. 

Resultantly, they clung to the past glories, a fixation on physical beauty and notions of wealth. Socrates attacked these particular values with his insistent emphasis on the greater mind importance. 

While many Athenians liked Socrates' challenges to Greek traditional wisdom, as well as the hilarious manner in which he did them, an equal percentage were enraged, believing he threatened their uncertain future and way of life. Many of the experts and writers have written Socrates biography summary.

Trial of Socrates

Socrates was accused of corrupting the young of Athens, as well as heresy and impiety, in 399 B.C. In court, he has chosen to defend himself.

Rather than presenting himself as a falsely accused person, Socrates asserted that he played an important role in his community as a gadfly, someone who constantly questions and challenges the current quo, including its supporters.

The jury was not swayed by the defense of Socrates and convicted him by a vote of 280 to 221. The defiant tone of his defence may have influenced the verdict, and he may have made matters worse during the deliberation over his penalty.

According to Athenian law, a condemned citizen might suggest an alternative sentence to the one sought by the prosecution, and the jury will decide. Instead of advocating that he be expelled, Socrates proposed that he be acknowledged by the city for his dedicated enlightenment and be compensated for his efforts. 

The jury was not amused and instead sentenced him to death by taking a mixture of poison hemlock.

Socrates' Death

Friends offered to pay the guards and save Socrates from execution so that he may flee into exile.

He then declined, stating he was not afraid of death, felt he would be no better off if in separation and said that still, he was a loyal citizen of Athens, who is willing to follow its laws, including those that have sentenced him to death.

In his Phaedo discourse, Plato depicted Socrates' execution as follows: Socrates drank the hemlock mixture without hesitation. The numbness slowly has crept into his body until it reached his heart. A short time before his final breath, Socrates explained his death as the release of the soul from the body. This is the Socrates biography summary.