jan 1, 499 BC - Socrates (469–399 BC)

Description:

History: Socrates lived during the Golden Age of Athens — a period marked by cultural flourishing, political democracy, and military conflicts such as the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. This era saw the rise of dramatic arts (like the plays of Sophocles and Euripides), the construction of the Parthenon, and the development of democratic institutions. However, it was also a time of social unrest, political instability, and moral uncertainty. Against this backdrop, sophists — traveling teachers who claimed to teach success through rhetoric — became influential, often promoting relativism.

Ideas: Socrates’ central philosophical idea was self-knowledge. He believed that "The unexamined life is not worth living" and that true wisdom comes from recognizing one’s own ignorance.

He developed the Socratic Method — a form of dialectical questioning aimed at exposing contradictions in someone’s beliefs, leading them to a deeper understanding or realization of their ignorance. This method encouraged critical thinking and moral introspection.

Socrates also believed that virtue is knowledge — meaning, if a person truly understands what is good, they will naturally do it. Therefore, ethical failure was seen as a result of ignorance, not malice.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: