Socrates

Socrates is one of the most critical people in philosophy. He was a seeker of wisdom and is best known for his teachings. His method is to ask his students questions so they might question their own beliefs. This method is called the ‘Socratic method’ and is still practiced now.

At that time the government demanded respect from all of its citizens. And Socrates was a threat to the government, so they arrested him with the hope of controlling his influence.

The government was threatened by control the Socrates had over his students. So they decided to bring him to trial for corrupting the youth and was sentenced to death.

Plato one of his students wrote that Socrates was accused of being “an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others.” 

He has many chances to escape, but he stayed and awaited execution. He wanted to obey the law, even though it wasn’t fair. In 399 B.c., he drank a glass of hemlock that ended his life.

Plato

Plato was born into a noble Athenian family. He was a student of Socrates. Plato was very intelligent in science and math. He was known all over Athens for his goodness as a person.

According to Plato, the study of philosophy was not optional for anyone preparing to become a statesman or politician. He opened a school in Athens called The Academy which lasted for many years after his death.

Aristotle

Aristotle was born in 384 B.C. on a Greek seaport on the coast of Thrace, in a noble family. His father was a doctor which probably influenced his son to begin his quest for knowledge at an early age. And was sent to Plato’s academy and was a student for nearly 20 years.

After Plato died Aristotle was the head of the academy, but his ideas were different from Plato’s so he left the academy to tutor Alexander the Great. Then started his own school called The Lyceum.