Socrates was a Greek Philosopher who profoundly affected Western Philosophy through his indirect influence on others. He first began studying with the Sophists, the ancient Greek teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, and the art of successful living, prominent for their adroit, subtle, and allegedly often-specious reasoning. However, he believed in a superiority of argument over writing, and spent most of his time in the marketplace and public areas of Athens, engaging in dialogue or argument with …showed first 75 words of 1349 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1349 total…developer of philosophical thought concerned with the analysis of the character and conduct of human life; famous for his injunction "know thyself;" remembered for his conviction on charges of impiety and death by drinking poisonous hemlock. Famous for his view of philosophy as a pursuit proper and necessary to all intelligent men, he is one of the great examples of a man who lived by his principles even though they ultimately cost him his life.