Thinker Profile
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Name: Socrates
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Title: The Father of Philosophy
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Field of Specialization: Philosophy (Ethics and Logic)
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Main Achievement: The Socratic Method
1. Who is Socrates? (Introduction)
Socrates is a classical Greek philosopher (470–399 BC) considered one of the founders of Western philosophy. Interestingly, Socrates never wrote down any of his teachings. Instead, we know about his life and philosophy primarily through the writings of his students, most notably Plato. He lived in Athens, walking its streets and markets barefoot in simple clothes. He sought neither wealth nor fame; he sought only one thing: The Truth.
2. Why is he called the “Father of Philosophy”?
Before Socrates, philosophers (known as natural philosophers) were obsessed with the cosmos: What is the sun made of? How was the earth formed?
Socrates brought about a paradigm shift in human thought. He “brought philosophy down from the heavens to the earth,” making “The Human Being” the center of inquiry.
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He focused on concepts such as Justice, Goodness, Beauty, and Virtue.
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His immortal motto was the phrase inscribed at the Temple of Delphi: “Know Thyself.”
3. Main Achievement: The Socratic Method
![Diagram illustrating the Socratic Dialogue mechanism: Question -> Examine -> Conclude]
Socrates did not give his students “ready-made answers” (as traditional textbooks often do). Instead, he gave them “smart questions.” He developed a unique teaching method known as “Irony and Maieutics” (The Midwifery Method), which follows these steps:
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Claiming Ignorance (Socratic Irony): The dialogue begins with his famous stance: “I know one thing: that I know nothing.” He pretends to be a learner asking for clarity.
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Questioning: He asks a series of logical, probing questions designed to test the validity of the other person’s beliefs.
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Refutation (Elenchus): He leads the person to a point of “contradiction” within their own logic, helping them realize that what they thought was “knowledge” was merely an illusion.
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Maieutics (Intellectual Midwifery): Here, Socrates acts as a “midwife” (inspired by his mother, who was a midwife). However, instead of delivering babies, he helps deliver ideas from the mind. He guides the learner to birth a new, true conclusion on their own.
Simple Example:
Instead of telling a student, “Stealing is wrong,” Socrates would ask: “Would you like it if someone took your property?” … “Why not?” … “So, is it logical to do that to others?” … The student eventually arrives at the moral conclusion themselves.
4. The End of the Story: The Trial of Socrates
Socrates was charged with two crimes: “corrupting the youth” and “impiety against the city’s gods,” simply because his method of questioning annoyed the authorities and the arrogant.
He was sentenced to death. Although his students arranged an opportunity for him to escape prison, he refused firmly, arguing that respecting the law was more important than his own life.
![The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David – The moment he took the poison with courage]
In a majestic scene (immortalized in the painting by Jacques-Louis David above), Socrates drank the cup of poison (hemlock) while calmly discussing the “immortality of the soul” with his students until his final breath, setting a historical example of steadfastness in one’s principles.
5. Educational Video
To deepen the understanding of the “Socratic Method” and how we use it today, I recommend embedding the following video:
[Watch: The Socratic Method – A 60 Second Guide]
(Suggested link for the English version: Search for “The Socratic Method by The School of Life” or “TED-Ed Socrates” on YouTube)
Conclusion: What do we learn from Socrates today?
The story of Socrates teaches us that the question is more important than the answer, and that true knowledge is not the memorization of facts, but the ability to critique and examine ideas. The Socratic Method is the foundation of what we call in modern education: Critical Thinking.