“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
About
Socrates never wrote a word, yet he rewrote how the world thinks. Walking the streets of Athens barefoot, he questioned everything… justice, virtue, power, urging people not to live unexamined lives. Feared for his influence, he was sentenced to death, but drank the hemlock calmly, choosing truth over escape. His legacy lived on through Plato and every thinker who dares to ask, “What is the right way to live?” Socrates didn’t teach answers… he taught how to seek them.
Place of Birth
Athens, Greece
Birthday
Circa 470 BCE
Death
399 BCE (executed by hemlock poisoning in Athens)
Legacy
Socrates is widely regarded as the father of Western philosophy. Though he left no written works himself, his method of questioning, critical thinking, and pursuit of ethical truth laid the foundation for Western logic and moral philosophy. His life and death became symbols of intellectual courage and integrity.
Influence
Socrates’ teachings were passed down primarily through his student Plato, and later Aristotle. His method of dialogue influenced everything from ethics to epistemology and politics. He inspired generations of thinkers including the Stoics, early Christian philosophers, Enlightenment scholars, and modern ethicists.
Values & Beliefs
Socrates believed in the relentless pursuit of truth, self-knowledge, and virtue. He championed reason over opinion, and encouraged people to question everything… including their own beliefs. He viewed the soul’s moral improvement as life’s highest goal and distrusted wealth, power, and superficial success.
Most Famous For:
The Socratic Method
Teaching Plato
Prioritizing ethics over popularity
Accepting his death rather than abandoning his principles
“I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.”
Ethan Townzen 