The theories of the sophists did bring the human soul to the center of philosophical thought, but they provoked the feeling of uncertainty in the people of their time. This is what Socrates came to face (470-399 BC).
Socrates was not a professional teacher, as the
sophists were. Instead he used to develop his thoughts, through dialogue, in
places like the market, workshops and gyms.
According to Aristotle, the method by which
this philosopher was trying to discover truth and knowledge was as follows: He was
asking his interlocutor about questions that were always concerning man and
then was judging his answers by checking their validity.
Socrates was very interested in the subject of
ethics, which he was considering to be based on logic and to be independent of
religion and custom. Unlike the sophists who were believing in the relativity
of things, Socrates was arguing for the existence of good and evil. He was
believing, then, that no one chooses evil when he knows what he is doing. Thus
he came to the conclusion that virtue is based on knowledge, which is
instructive.
Socrates was considering the beauty of the soul
to be good and beneficial for man, which, in his opinion, was surpassing other
goods such as physical strength, health, external beauty, pleasure, wealth and
glory.
The teaching of Socrates contributed to the
internalization of man and to the projection of the imaginary world as of
special value. However, his morals were not ascetic because he was not
disregarding human nature.
Without the philosopher himself seeking it, his
students created their own schools, based on his philosophical theories. However,
each of them evolved with the personal tendencies of its own representative.
