Introduction
Socrates: Born in Athens between 471 BC and 468 BC, Socrates is among the main Classical philosophers and is considered the founder of basic precepts of Western philosophy. Influenced by Anaxagoras, in his early works, Socrates developed ideas about the human soul and the essence of nature.
Socratic philosophy is so important that classical Greek philosophy is divided into pre-Socratic, Socratic and post-Socratic.
Pre-Socratic philosophy is marked by concern with the origin of the world and the development of rational explanations to replace myths.
At the Socratic period, philosophy sought to understand the forms of political organization , in addition to issues related to society and the individual .
In the post-Socratic period , philosophy expanded its discussions and began to deal with varied topics , such as materialism, determinism and freedom.
Socrates did not leave written works , knowledge of his main ideas was preserved thanks to the writings of his main disciples: Plato and Xenophon’s. Socrates is one of the main characters in the dialogues written by Plato.
Philosophy and maieutics
Socrates was an excellent speaker and spread his lessons and thoughts through dialogue , also developed by his disciple Plato. The power of oratory was responsible for bringing young people closer to Socratic philosophy.
In his reflections, the philosopher affirmed the existence of universal truths , which, in turn, were valid for any individual , regardless of time and space. To find the truth, it was understood that the individual needed to reflect on it.
However, before embarking on the search for truth, man would need to know himself , his flaws and defects, only then would it be possible to recognize his ignorance and, from there, lead his journey in search of truth . This first philosophical method is called irony .
In this Socratic model , irony represents constant questioning and refutation . The journey in search of truth is summed up by the classic phrase “Know yourself”.
In the second phase, Socrates proposed the use of maieutics . The philosopher asked his interlocutor in the dialogue to present several examples of the subject being discussed. Socrates, then, sought to find the characteristics common to all these examples. Maieutics is, therefore, the successive analysis of answers in search of the truth.
When using the maieutics technique, Socrates assumed that the truth was contained in all men, but was not always accessed, as man found himself immersed in a false reality, full of false ideas and inadequate methods. Only the overcoming of these obstacles would be able to guarantee man access to universal truths .
The arrival at true and universal knowledge, achieved after the use of refutation and maieutics, is called virtue by Socrates .
Socratic Method
The model of philosophy and the search for knowledge is called the Socratic Method . The method is intended to promote the construction of knowledge and not just the transmission of ideas. Students and disciples should be part of and have an active role in the construction of knowledge.
Socrates developed the exchange of knowledge through dialogue and the use of two stages, irony and maieutics. This model is the Socratic Method, which is still used by humanity today as a way of acquiring knowledge autonomously and critically, forming individuals who are participants and responsible for their own education.
The autonomy of the students, the constant search for knowledge, the questions, the refutations, the ironies and the Socratic oratory attracted a series of young Athenians in search of the philosophers’ teachings.
The Socratic teaching methods did not please the Greek elite. Accused of corrupting youth and disturbing the current order, Socrates was sentenced to death . The philosopher died in 399 BC after ingesting hemlock.