Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato were some of the most influential philosophers in history. Learn about their lives, their works, and their ideas. You’ll be glad you did when you finish! Here are 3 of their most famous quotes and essays. What did they have in common? And which philosophers do you most admire? Hopefully this article has answered your question! There’s something for everyone.
Socrates
In the early Greek period, the most famous philosopher was Socrates, who helped shape the intellectual and cultural development of the world. Known for his method of question and answer, Socrates was known as an intellectual renegade, who claimed to be ignorant of his own knowledge. According to him, life isn’t worth living if you leave it unexamined. This approach inspired other great Greek philosophers, including Plato, who is widely considered to be the first Western philosopher. Aristotle later followed Socrates as his teacher, and they formed a famous triad of ancient philosophers.
In The Apology, Socrates praises the poet Euthyphro, while at the same time criticizing the Stoics, and this has led to an ongoing debate about whether Socrates was a real philosopher. Nietzsche argues that Socrates’ questioning of the poet demonstrates his anti-Stoic credentials. Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols continues his attack on Socrates.
But despite Socrates’ virtuosity, Socrates’ skepticism and insecurity are confusing. Hegel attributes the same skeptical comportment to sophists and places human subjectivity at a higher level. By raising the world to the level of conscious thought, Socrates elevates human subjectivity. Hegel shifts the focus away from questions about Nature to questions about Truth and the relationship between self-conscious thought and the real essence.
Socrates’ ignorance is not a sin in itself. As a matter of fact, he refutes the notion that “nobody is truly ignorant.” He believes that we are only aware of our ignorance if we have some knowledge of the truth. In fact, the best way to understand Socrates’ reasoning is to try to apply the distinction between the two types of ignorance. The two types are different, but essentially the same.
Socrates was also the first to be imprisoned for his beliefs. Socrates, in fact, was a life-hating anti-hero. He desired to die before he died. That said, his refusal to be imprisoned amounted to an implicit agreement with the democratic system. Although the accusers of Socrates were prevented from suing him on political grounds, they instead chose religious ones.
Socrates’ elenchus is a common form of debate. An elenchus, or cross-examined proposition, involves Socrates testing the interlocutor’s position and refutation of his position. In Socrates’ elenchus, the interlocutor is attempting to refine the way they think, and Socrates refutes them.
Socrates’ method of questioning is known as the Socratic method. But in reality, Socrates would not recognize the Socratic method we use in law school, where professors pepper students with questions. Socrates’ method is more about disguising the true meaning of Socrates’ message than proving the truth. A socratic approach to argumentation requires the use of the simplest terms.
Aristotle
Aristotle was the first and most famous of the Greek philosophers. His work is divided into two distinct branches, metaphysics and physics. Metaphysics is the study of the natural world, while physics focuses on conceptual puzzles concerning nature, including the theory of causal explanation and the unmoved mover. While Aristotle did not develop the science of genetics or artificial intelligence, his work on natural selection and the laws of nature still holds much appeal to theoretically-minded natural scientists and mathematicians.
Aristotle’s work is a classic of classical Greek philosophy, and continues to be read today. His works have influenced virtually every area of human knowledge. Although Aristotle was largely ignored in the West after the fall of Rome, his work was still revered by Muslim scholars. Aristotle is credited for inventing the concept of metaphysics, putting a book on abstract philosophical speculation after a book on physics. In a way, Aristotle standardized the learning process across multiple disciplines.
Aristotle was an extremely influential philosopher who contributed to virtually every branch of knowledge in his day. He explored the difference between involuntary and voluntary actions, and encouraged people to fill their lives with voluntary activities. Aristotle was well aware that many people loathed doing chores and believed that these annoyances were opportunities for growth. However, this view of chores is no longer accepted today.
Aristotle’s works are notoriously difficult to understand for novice readers. While the concepts of being and time are basic to philosophical thought, Aristotle’s writings can be extremely challenging to understand. His use of technical terminology and sentence structure can make it difficult for a novice to follow his argument. The writings of Aristotle are often difficult to understand, and scholars have long debated whether he intended to publish them in their current form.
During the late Middle Ages, Aristotle was known as “The Master”. Dante’s Inferno doesn’t have to mention his name because he was already considered a “master” in multiple fields. His works were compared to those of Socrates and Plato. In fact, Aristotle was the most influential of the three. It is hard to distinguish the three philosophers without comparing them.
In a brief summary of Aristotle’s work, we can see that his philosophy of nature focused on form. He wrote that matter is essential to existence, but not its sole source. In other words, matter is not the only thing that is true. Forms also contribute to the facticity of facts, which makes a proposition truth-evaluable. The essence is something greater than the sum of its parts.
While Aristotle believed that the existence of patterns is a sign of order, he didn’t accept the claim of Perfect Beauty. According to Aristotle, a horse’s beauty lies in its health and form. In other words, it is not a result of Perfect Beauty. Aristotle also rejected the idea of Perfect Beauty, and he believed that beauty must be based on proof.
Plato
Among the three famous philosophers of ancient Greece, Plato has become the most popular. Although his works were often interpreted differently, most contemporary scholars have agreed that his dialogues are very readable. In fact, many scholars believe that the Laws of Plato are a perfect example of his style. In the Timaeus, he narrates a myth about Atlantis that is reminiscent of the story of Oedipus Rex.
The early dialogues of Plato contain some of the most interesting arguments and refutations of philosophical positions. Many introductory philosophy classes have included the Platonic dialogues as part of their curriculum, as they raise many fundamental philosophical issues. In fact, many of the Platonic dialogues are still taught today. This is not surprising, because so much of what Plato said was influenced by his life.
The life of Plato is filled with many interesting stories. At a young age, he met the great philosopher Socrates, and was impressed by his debating skills. From then on, Plato devoted his life to exploring the question of virtue. He also served in the Peloponnesian War, which took place between Athens and Sparta between 409 and 404 B.C.E. The conflict ended democracy in the city-states of Athens.
The works of Plato are a source of controversy. Because they are ancient, they have survived the test of time. Hence, we should not be surprised if some of the works are considered authentic. In any case, Plato’s earliest works are the most reliable ancient sources for Socrates. It is possible that these works are also genuine epigrams. If we are to trust these works, we should remember that they are derived from other ancient sources.
During his travels, Plato visited Sicily and Italy. His Seventh Letter describes his journeys to these countries. He was 40 years old when he travelled to Sicily, and spent some time teaching Dion, the brother-in-law of the tyrant Dionysius I. Dion became increasingly annoyed with Plato and arranged to sell him into slavery.
Though Plato was one of the 3 famous philosopher’s of ancient Greece, his real name was Aristocles. His mother remarried Pyrilampes, a Greek politician and ambassador to Persia. Plato is believed to have two full brothers, one half-brother, and a half-sister. His birth order is uncertain, but members of his family appear frequently in his dialogues, which historians believe is a sign of pride in his family lineage.
The biography of Plato has many problems. The biographer Diogenes, who claims to be Plato’s uncle, is notoriously unreliable. His mother was a noble Athenian, and his father was a politician. He was educated by distinguished Athenian teachers, including Cratylus. The family’s status and background made Plato an unlikely candidate for a great career.