The Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato

It’s the mid-400s BCE, in the Greek city of Athens. A man is wandering the streets talking to whoever will listen about how we should live, and what it means to be right or wrong. This is Socrates. He is one of many great thinkers trying to understand the world using his intelligence and reasoning skills. He is a philosopher.

Socrates is concerned with how we should live, what is good and bad, right and wrong — with ethics. Socrates develops his ideas by asking people questions. “What kinds of things are right, and what kinds of things are wrong?”, he might ask. When someone answers, he questions them further. Perhaps they say, “The things the gods love are right and the things the gods hate are wrong.” To which Socrates says, “But don’t the gods themselves quarrel over what is right and wrong?” And so the conversation goes. By asking people why they believe what they do, Socrates uncovers the weaknesses in their thinking.

His approach is known as the Socratic method. Many Greeks of the day enjoy talking with Socrates. Some young people become his students, spending their days with him on the streets of Athens. But leaders in the Greek government don’t like the way Socrates questions accepted ideas. They accuse him of disrespecting the gods and being a dangerous influence on young people.

Socrates is put on trial and sentenced to death by poisoning. Since Socrates doesn’t write down any of his teachings, most of what we know about him comes from the writings of one of his students: Plato. Plato is greatly angered by his teacher’s death at the hands of the government. He decides there are deep problems with the current justice system. He wants nothing to do with the politics of Athens.

So Plato leaves, travelling through Greece, Egypt, and Italy. On his journey, he meets powerful political leaders and discusses his philosophical ideas with them. No-one should be rich or live in luxury, Plato says, and each person should do the job they are best suited for. Plato also believes society should be ruled by reliable leaders who love wisdom and live a simple life. He calls this type of ruler a philosopher-king.

Eventually, Plato returns to Athens and sets up a school where he teaches philosophy, law, mathematics, and science. It is called the Academy in Athens. Alongside teaching, Plato writes several great works. They are structured like the conversations Socrates used to have with people in Athens: as dialogues. Socrates is often the main speaker leading discussions on moral issues.

Plato’s most famous book is called The Republic. In it, he examines the question, “What is justice?” and lays out his vision of an ideal government. Socrates’ and Plato’s ideas remain important to the present day. And the method of asking questions to challenge assumptions is used in many modern day classrooms, where teachers pose a thought-provoking question and share a conversation with students.