History Report: What were the Most Important Accomplishments of Socrates?

The Achievements of Socrates
"I know that I know nothing."
Ancient Greece was a period of philosophical and academic advancement. Viewed as one of the most advanced philosopher of his time, Socrates was, and still is, considered to be the father figure of the Western philosophy. Having lived through 469 to 399 B.C., Socrates helped shape Ancient Greece as an opinionated philosopher, skilled teacher, and an impeccable and gallant solider (Usher, 2005). This essay will summarize the significant impact that Socrates has left on humankind.
Dependent upon secondary sources, such as written accounts by his student, Plato, as well as future philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates was one of the few philosophers in history to be recognized for his work during his lifetime (History.com, 2009). Unlike many of the philosophers in Ancient Greece who asked questions about the world around them, Socrates decided to follow a different line of questioning, focusing on learning more about himself. As such, Socrates was not interested in the workings of the world, focusing instead on the factors that impacted an individual and their interaction with others. Socrates famous quote, "The unexamined life is not worth living" most certainly sums up his thought process, a way of thinking that allowed Socrates to reflect on and discuss topics related to justice, injustice, and truth (Baird and Kaufmann, 2000).
Socrates encouraged his students and followers to constantly ask questions of their own after answering questions directed by a teacher (History.Com, 2009). Such dialogue between a teacher and his students, or as part of an individual’s own thought process, lead to the formation of Socrates method of critical thinking. Using this method, individuals are able to unearth all the presumptions that could distort their topic of choice and therefore their conclusion. Such critical thinking can be found in modern-day classrooms and gave rise to the scientific method of induction, which helps in ...