I.

Introduction

Socrates (c. 470-c. 399 bc), Greek philosopher, who shaped Western philosophy, although he left no writings of his own. His pupil Plato wrote dialogues purporting to describe Socrates’s views and actions. These are the principal source for Socrates’s ideas and influence, though Plato sometimes ascribed his own views to his master. The historian Xenophon also wrote dialogues involving Socrates, and he is mentioned in other Greek works.