Socrates was a classical Athenian philosopher.
Socrates -LRB- -LSB- ˈsɒkrətiːz -RSB- Σωκράτης -LSB- - grcsɔːkrátɛːs -RSB- , Sōkrátēs ; 470/469 -- 399 BC -RRB- was a classical Greek -LRB- Athenian -RRB- philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.
Through his portrayal in Plato 's dialogues , Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics , and it is this Platonic Socrates who lends his name to the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic method , or elenchus.
Plato 's dialogues are among the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity , though it is unclear the degree to which Socrates himself is `` hidden behind his ` best disciple ' , Plato ''.
The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions , and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions is asked not only to draw individual answers , but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand.
Plato 's Socrates also made important and lasting contributions to the field of epistemology , and his ideologies and approach have proven a strong foundation for much Western philosophy that has followed.
He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers , especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes.
From the time of Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to the 19th century , `` natural philosophy '' encompassed astronomy , medicine and physics.
Philosophy -LRB- from Greek φιλοσοφία , philosophia , literally `` love of wisdom '' -RRB- is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence , knowledge , values , reason , mind , and language.
Classical Greece was a period of around 200 years -LRB- 5th and 4th centuries BC -RRB- in Greek culture.
This Classical period saw the annexation of much of modern-day Greece by the Persian Empire and its subsequent independence.
In the context of the art , architecture , and culture of Ancient Greece , the Classical period , sometimes called the Hellenic period , corresponds to most of the 5th and 4th centuries BC -LRB- the most common dates being the fall of the last Athenian tyrant in 510 BC and the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC -RRB-.
The Classical period in this sense follows the Archaic period and is in turn succeeded by the Hellenistic period.
Classical Greece had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and on the foundations of western civilization.
Much of modern Western politics , artistic thought -LRB- architecture , sculpture -RRB- , scientific thought , theatre , literature , and philosophy derives from this period of Greek history.
The scope of philosophy in the ancient understanding , and the writings of -LRB- at least some of -RRB- the ancient philosophers , were all intellectual endeavors.
The word philosophy itself originated from the Hellenic : philosophia , literally , `` the love of wisdom '' -LRB- φιλεῖν philein , `` to love '' and σοφία sophia , `` wisdom '' -RRB-.
This included the problems of philosophy as they are understood today ; but it also included many other disciplines , such as pure mathematics and natural sciences such as physics , astronomy , and biology -LRB- Aristotle , for example , wrote on all of these topics.
Western philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western world.
Historically , the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture , beginning with Hellenic -LRB- i.e. Greek -RRB- philosophy of the Pre-Socratics such as Thales -LRB- c. 624 -- c. 546 BC -RRB- and Pythagoras -LRB- c. 570 -- c. 495 BC -RRB- , and eventually covering a large area of the globe.
In the classical period , Athens was a center for the arts , learning and philosophy , home of Plato 's Akademia and Aristotle 's Lyceum , Athens was also the birthplace of Socrates , Pericles , Sophocles , and many other prominent philosophers , writers and politicians of the ancient world.
The city of Athens during the classical period of Ancient Greece -LRB- 508 -- 322 BC -RRB- was the major urban center of the notable polis -LRB- city-state -RRB- of the same name , located in Attica , Greece , leading the Delian League in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and the Peloponnesian League.
Athenian democracy was established in 508 BC under Cleisthenes following the tyranny of Isagoras.
This system remained remarkably stable , and with a few brief interruptions remained in place for 180 years , until 322 BC -LRB- aftermath of Lamian War -RRB-.
The peak of Athenian hegemony was achieved in the 440s to 430s BC , known as the Age of Pericles.
It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western Civilization , and the birthplace of democracy , largely due to the impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC on the rest of the then-known European continent.
