Socrates

Socrates (469-399 B.C.), along with Plato (428-347 B.C.) and Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), is one of three ancient Greek thinkers credited with originating Western philosophy. The creator of the Socratic method, Socrates urged his followers to engage in discussions in which they used logic (the use of reason in thought processes) to probe a specific topic. Before his time, philosophers known as pre-Socratics had speculated but not applied reason in their discussions. The Socratic method was a series of seemingly simple questions designed to elicit a rational response. It was an important development and the forerunner to the discipline called logic.

The intelligent and charismatic Socrates was known for his quest of wisdom and moral standards.