Socrates: The Ancient Greek Philosopher & His Legacy
Philosophy The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates had a profound influence on Western philosophy with his Socratic method of critical thinking and moral philosophy. Updated: Mar 27, 2025 written by Tim Lake, MA Philosophy, Science, and Religion (In-Progress), MA Jazz Performance Like Share Cite summary Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who lived in Athens in the 5th century BCE and was executed by the leaders of the Athenian democracy for some of his more radical opinions. He employed the Socratic Method of philosophical questioning to stimulate dialogue and critical thinking to “teach” students how to think. Unlike contemporary philosophers who were also mathematicians and scientists, Socrates was principally focused on moral philosophy and how to live and virtuous and fulfilling life. Socrates left no written records of his philosophy, and most of what we know comes from Plato, who was a student of Socrates and used him as a mouthpiece in his Di...