How Socrates Shaped and Influenced Philosophy

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How Socrates Shaped Philosophy
Socrates remains widely acclaimed for much of the outgrowth and evolution of the philosophical environment around Greece. His influence is so extensive that the two philosophical eras in-between the time of Socrates are known as the Pre-Socratic philosophical era and the Post-Socratic philosophical era. As Dhiman (3) explains, Socrates was considered one of the three most significant figures in ancient Greece and Aristotle and Plato. All three figures lived in Athens around the 5th Century BCE. In his time, Socrates was admired within society, with many people looking to follow his integrity while also admiring his philosophical insight and argumentative skills.
Pre-Socratic Philosophy
Many philosophers actively contributed to the growth of thought in Greek society before the emergence of Socrates. Firstly, religious mythology played an active role in shaping initial philosophical discourse. As is the case today, it was a tremendous social force that helped shape human nature and society. Several Greek mythologists helped advance religious thought and shaped the philosophy of Greece at the time. Homer was one such mythologist who is most acclaimed for his work with the epic tales, Iliad and Odyssey (Edmonds III 5). These epics detail the adventures of Odysseus, with journeys into the underworld and other parts of the mythological world. The second prominent mythologist in ancient Greece was called Hesiod. He was the author of the epic Theogony, which helped describe the origins of various deities and their influence on Greek society.
In the beginning, there was only Chaos, the Abyss. . . Love then arose, most beautiful among the immortal gods, which loosens the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and mortal men. [Hesiod 7]
The above text by Hesiod helps show mythologists as the first philosophers and scientists too. Through their work, the society established the order in how their society came to be while also encouraging thoughts about the nature of humanity's existence.
Pre-Socratic philosophers were seen to focus on the origins and substance of the world. Thales is widely considered the father of ancient Greek philosophy as he was the first person to use reason, seek proof for his findings, and generalize. With Thales taking the lead, Pre-Socratic philosophers would reject mythological explanations such as the ones advanced by Homer and Hesiod. Instead, Kaplama (4) explains that these thinkers favored rational explanations and initiated critical thought and analysis. Chiefly, the efforts of these early philosophers focused on investigating the nature of the basis and nature of the external world. The work of most pre-Socratic philosophers was focused on investigating natural phenomena. According to Kaplama (4), these philosophers believed that human beings originated from a single substance, and these c...