SocratesSocrates (470-399) was the son of a sculptor and a midwife, andserved with distinction in the Athenian army durin Athens! clashwith Sparta" #e married, $ut had a tendency to fall in love withhandsome youn men, in particular a youn soldier namedAlci$iades"#e was, $y all accounts, short and stout, not iven toood roomin, and a lover of wine and conversation"#is famousstudent, %lato, called him &the wisest, and 'ustest, and $est of allmen whom ( have ever )nown* (Phaedo)" #e was irritated $y the Sophists and their tendency to teach loicas a means of achievin self-centered ends, and even more theirpromotion of the idea that all thins are relative"(t was the truththat he loved, desired, and $elieved in" %hilosophy, the love of wisdom, was for Socrates itself a sacredpath, a holy +uest -- not a ame to $e ta)en lihtly"#e $elieved --or at least said he did in the dialo Meno -- in the reincarnation ofan eternal soul which contained all )nowlede",e unfortunatelylose touch with that )nowlede at every $irth, and so we need to$e reminded of what we already )now(rather than learninsomethin new)" #e said that he did not teach, $ut rather served, li)e his mother,as a midwife to truth that is already in us- .a)in use of+uestionsandanswerstoremindhisstudentsof )nowledeiscalled maieutics (midwifery), dialectics, or the Socratic method" /nee0ampleofhise1ectonphilosophyisfoundinthedialoEuthyphro" #e suests that what is to $e considered a oodact is not ood $ecause ods say it is, $ut is ood $ecause it isuseful to us in our e1orts to $e $etter and happier people" 2hismeans that ethics is no loner a matter of surveyin the ods orscripture for what is ood or $ad, $ut rather thin)in a$out life" #eevenplacedindividual consciencea$ovethelaw-- +uiteadanerous position to ta)e- Socrates himself never wrote any of his ideas down, $ut ratherenaed his students -- wealthy youn men of Athens -- inendless conversations"(n e0chane for his teachin, they in turnmade sure that he was ta)en care of" Since he claimed to havefewneeds, hetoo) very little, muchto his wife3anthippe!sdistress" %latoreconstructedthesediscussionsinareatsetof writins)nown as the 4ialos"(t is di5cult to distinuish what is Socratesand what is %lato in these dialos, so we will simply discuss themtoether" Socrates wasn!t loved $y everyone $y any means" #isunorthodo0 political and reliious views ave the leadin citi6ensof Athens the e0cuse they needed to sentence him to death forcorruptinthemoralsof theyouthof thecity" (n399, hewasordered to drin) a $rew of poison hemloc), which he did in thecompanyof his students" 2heevent is documentedin%lato7sApology.Socrates7 8nal words were 9:rito, we owe a coc) to Asclepius (theod of medicine)" %ay it and do not nelect it"9 Plato%lato (437-347) was Socrates! pri6ed student";rom a wealthy andpowerful family, hisactual namewasAristocles-- %latowasanic)name, referrintohis$roadphysi+ue" ,henhewasa$outtwenty, hecameunder Socrates! spell anddecidedtodevotehimself to philosophy" 4evastated $y Socrates! death, hewandered around