Socrates (470–399 BC) of Athens is one of the founders of Western philosophy. The son of a stonemason, he spent his days in Athens' agora engaging citizens in relentless dialogue, exposing contradictions in their thinking and pioneering the dialectical method of inquiry known as the Socratic method.
Socrates called himself a 'gadfly' sent to sting Athens' sleeping horse into action. He professed 'Know thyself' and 'I know that I know nothing,' asserting that true wisdom begins with recognizing one's own ignorance. In 399 BC, the Athenian court condemned him to death for 'corrupting the youth,' and he drank hemlock with composure.
Though Socrates left no writings, his ideas were preserved by students like Plato and became the foundation of Western philosophy. His dialectical method shaped logic, ethics, and education, establishing the tradition of rational inquiry that continues to underpin critical thinking and philosophical discourse worldwide.
