Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle


Thanks to three famous Greek philosophers from Athens, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, much of modern day philosophy is attributed and influenced by their works. Each man was quite different from the other man and each had much to contribute to philosophy and the study of philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle of Athens, Greece impacted and greatly changed the world.

Socrates was from Athens, Greece and he lived from 469-399 BC. He was not wealthy or an aristocrat. He wasn’t loved a lot by the people of Athens; in fact they said he was bad role model and that he was ruining the young people of the city. They truly did not understand him at all. He was not known as a great author, but his strength rested in his ability to ask deep, thought-provoking questions. Sometimes his questions would humiliate or embarrass the people of Athens. This style of questioning is still used in many schools of learning today and it called the Socratic Method of Teaching.

Plato was an Athens aristocrat and he was also known for his wrestling skills. He was once a student of Socrates. He, too, liked to question and probe. He believed in pre-existence and felt that all souls were immortal. He was known for his stellar writing skills with one of his most famous works being The Republic. In his book, he expressed the idea that a king should be a philosopher and he described what he thought was the perfect society. He lived from around 428-347 BC. He lived in Athens and founded the Academy in Athens.

Aristotle was also a student of Plato in Athens, Greece. Plato certainly had some well-known and very bright students. He later was a tutor for a few years for the famous ruler Alexander the Great. He was born in Stagirus of Northern Greece and lived from 384-322 BCE. His views on physical science changed the world. When he was 50 years old, he started his very own school of philosophy. We wrote well over one thousand papers, pamphlets, documents, and books during his lifetime. His best-known idea was the “ Golden Mean, Avoid All Extremes”, a motto of moderation.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, great Greek philosophers, each changed the world with their forward thinking, probing questions, and extensive writings concerning philosophy. These famous and very different men of Greece impacted and changed society.

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11 2016

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