Plato Socrates Research Paper

Socrates is seen as an enigmatic figure of the ancient world. His teachings have brought much wisdom to future philosophers; his teachings directly influenced the lives of his students Plato and Xenophon, who both became great philosophers in their own right. In fact, his knowledge has defined an era, so much so that the philosophers that came before him are now known as pre-Socratic. He is commonly credited as being one of the founders of Western philosophy, greatly increasing our understanding of both ethics and epistemology, among others (Kessler 65). Socrates did not consider himself to be wise, yet his understanding of the world has had a very profound and lasting impact on the development of Western society. Under Athenian law, all males where required to serve in the military, Socrates was influenced later in life by his experience serving as a hoplite during the Peloponnesian war. He was known for his bravery and …show more content…
Like Socrates, Plato was interested in ethics and epistemology, but he also made great strides in metaphysical pursuits. After the trial of Socrates, he became disinterested in politics and devoted his life to the study of philosophy. Socrates did not fear death, in fact he desired the wisdom that only God holds. Plato advocated in the immortality of the soul, he developed the Theory of Forms, simplified this theory states that being is immaterial and of greater value than the material (Kessler 447). Plato had a very similar view of politics as that of Socrates; however, it is difficult to be sure if these were really Socrates views or simply Plato talking through Socrates in his writings. The belief was that everyone in society had a role to play, and that lovers of wisdom, called philosopher kings, should be the rulers of such an ideal society