Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Ancient Athenian philosopher: Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher from Athens, credited as a founder of Western philosophy. He is known primarily through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the dialogues of his student Plato and the memoirs of Xenophon.
   • Teacher of Plato and Xenophon: He was the mentor of the philosopher Plato, who in turn taught Aristotle, and of the historian and soldier Xenophon. This established a foundational lineage of Western philosophical thought.
   • Historical figure (c. 470–399 BC): A specific individual from history known for his Socratic method of questioning, his ethical stance, and his trial and execution by the Athenian state.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The philosophical ideas of Socrates have influenced Western thought for centuries.
  • In the dialogue, Socrates questions his interlocutors about the nature of justice.
  • The trial and death of Socrates are dramatized in Plato's Apology, Crito, and Phaedo.

Advanced Usage

• Socratic (adjective): Relating to Socrates or his method of questioning.
  • The professor used a Socratic method, asking a series of guiding questions rather than lecturing.
• Socratic irony: A rhetorical technique employed by Socrates where he feigns ignorance (claims to know nothing) to expose the contradictions in someone else's argument.
  • His use of Socratic irony often left his conversation partners confused about their own beliefs.

Variants and Related Words

• Socratic (adj.): Pertaining to Socrates or his philosophies.
• Socratism (n.): The philosophy or method of Socrates.
• Pre-Socratic (adj./n.): Referring to the Greek philosophers who lived before Socrates or were not influenced by his methods.

Synonyms

• The Athenian philosopher: A descriptive synonym referencing his origin and profession.
• The gadfly of Athens: A metaphorical synonym based on his description of his role in Athenian society as one who stings the state into awareness.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• The Socratic method / Socratic questioning: A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and draw out ideas.
  • The law school emphasized the Socratic method to teach students how to think analytically.
• The Socratic problem: The historical issue that Socrates himself wrote nothing, so our knowledge of him depends on secondary sources which may present conflicting portraits.
  • Scholars debate the Socratic problem when analyzing the historical figure versus Plato's literary character.

Related Idioms

• A Socratic dialogue: A literary genre or a conversation modeled on Plato's dialogues, characterized by questioning to arrive at a definition or truth.
  • Their debate turned into a Socratic dialogue about the meaning of happiness.

Noun

1. ancient Athenian philosopher; teacher of Plato and Xenophon (470-399 BC)