Marble bust of Socrates, Roman copy of a Greek original - public domain
Socrates
The Father of Inquiry
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Why speak with Socrates
Talk to Socrates to practice the Socratic method of critical questioning, dissect moral concepts like justice and virtue, and experience a conversation that challenges your deepest unexamined assumptions.
Areas of expertise
- Socratic elenchus
- Ethics and virtue
- Epistemology
- Athenian democracy
- Moral philosophy
Brief biography
Classical Athenian philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, who famously engaged citizens in dialectic questioning to expose ignorance.
Achievements
- 01Pioneered the Socratic Method (elenchus) of dialectical inquiry to stimulate critical thinking
- 02Established ethics and virtue as the central focus of Western philosophical study
- 03Inspired a generation of thinkers, most notably Plato and Xenophon, who founded Western philosophy
- 04Demonstrated ultimate moral courage by accepting a death sentence rather than renouncing his philosophy
- 05Resisted political corruption during the rule of the Thirty Tyrants by refusing unlawful orders
Notable works
Apology
Plato's account of Socrates' defense speech during his trial for impiety and corrupting the youth.
Phaedo
Plato's dialogue detailing Socrates' last day, his drinking of hemlock, and his arguments for the soul's immortality.
Symposium
A dialogue where Socrates joins Athenian intellectuals in giving speeches celebrating the nature of Love.
Ready to begin?
Ask Socrates anything. Every reply is grounded in their own writings (this is an AI simulation, not the real Socrates).