Oedipus
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The most interesting and influential thinker in the fifth century was none-other than Socrates, whose dedication to careful reasoning inspired all of Greece. Since he sought genuine knowledge rather than mere victory over an opponent, Socrates employed the same logical tricks developed by the Sophists to a new purpose, the pursuit of truth. Although, his willingness to call everything into question and his determination to accept nothing less than a perfection of the nature of things makes him the first clear person of important philosophy.
Even after he has been convicted by the jury, Socrates declines to abandon his pursuit of the truth in all matters. Refusing to accept exile from Athens or a commitment to silence as his penalty, he maintains that public discussion of the great issues of life and that virtue is a necessary part of any valuable human life. Socrates would rather die than give up philosophy, and the jury seems happy to grant him that wish.
The goal of Socratic interrogation, then, is to help individuals to achieve genuine self-knowledge, even if it often turns out to be negative in character. Socrates means to turn the methods of the Sophists inside-out, using logical nit-picking to expose (rather than to create) illusions about reality.
It wasnÐЎЦt until Socrates was 70 years old that he was put on trial. His enemies had accused him of corrupting the cityÐЎЦs youth and failing to respect the gods. Socrates stood before a jury of 501 citizens and stated a calm defense. But SocratesÐЎЦ fate had already been chosen for him, for the majority vote was he be condemned to death. Being a loyal man that he was, he accepted the death penalty. Socrates was dead after he drank hemlock, a deadly poison.
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