Philosophy is the foundation of all sciences, regardless of the specialty or subject of study (Castillero, n.d.). Like philosophy, science seeks truth and knowledge, whether in theoretical or practical terms. In fact, according to Castillero (n.d.), scientific theories often rely on concepts and perspectives from philosophical thought.
One of the most prominent philosophers in the history of philosophy is Socrates (Castillero, n.d.). His contributions have led to various techniques and ways of thinking about the world and the mind (Castillero, n.d.). Tovar (2019) argues that Socrates' contributions to philosophy are so significant that they have marked a before and after in the discipline. In fact, according to Tovar (2019), the distinction between pre-Socratic and post-Socratic philosophers is an example of how his legacy has influenced the way we understand philosophy to this day.
Biography
Socrates, recognized as the father of philosophy, was born in Athens in 470 BC (Castillero, n.d.). His father, Sophroniscus, was a sculptor and his mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife (Sánchez, 2020). Although there are doubts about the details of his life, it is known that from childhood he showed great ability in various disciplines, including literature and music.
At first, Socrates lived like any other Athenian citizen (Sánchez, 2020). He followed his father's profession for some time and participated in several wars as an infantry soldier, including the Peloponnesian War (Castillero, n.d.). According to Sánchez (2020), the first lessons that Socrates learned were related to his ability to bear the burdens of his condition and his patience.
After inheriting a sum of money upon his father's death, Socrates dedicated himself to philosophy (Torres, n.d.). At an early age, he married Xanthippe, a woman famous for her bad temper (Sánchez, 2020). According to Sánchez (2020), there have been several accounts of marital conflicts between the couple, however, there is not enough evidence to confirm that they had such a difficult relationship as is sometimes believed.
Despite being ridiculed for his unattractive appearance and austere lifestyle, Socrates became famous for his great intelligence and ability to ask questions (Sánchez, 2020). Socrates did not consider himself wise, but believed that most people believed they knew more than they actually did (Castillero, n.d.). He used irony and dialogue to question the beliefs of his interlocutors and show them the actual level of their knowledge (Castillero, n.d.). Torres (n.d.) notes that Socrates challenged people to defend their ideas to their ultimate consequences, and by asking questions, he exposed the inconsistencies in their arguments.
This technique allowed him to gain followers and students, including his brightest pupil, Plato, who restored much of Socratic thought since Socrates never wrote (Sánchez, 2020). The reason why Socrates never wrote was because he believed that if he did so, he would condition the intellectual construction of others, since everyone should have their own ideas. Instead, according to Sánchez (2020), he preferred to talk to people, using his irony and extraordinary ability to see things from a different point of view.
Socrates, a Greek philosopher of great influence in his time, aroused suspicion among the authorities due to his growing fame (Torres, n.d.). For this reason, he was accused of being a bad influence on the youth (Sánchez, 2020). Surprisingly, Socrates did not defend himself with his great dialectical ability, as he believed that the laws and decisions of the judges should be obeyed, whether he agreed with them or not. As a result, Socrates was sentenced to death by poisoning with hemlock (Sánchez, 2020).
In his last moments, Socrates received a visit from his wife, Xanthippe, who wept for his tragic fate (Sánchez, 2020). However, Socrates questioned her about her sadness and asked if she would feel better if he had died for a just sentence. According to Sánchez (2020), this attitude of acceptance and serenity in the face of death is remembered as one of Socrates' great teachings.
The death of Socrates caused great upheaval among his followers and was viewed as a tragedy by many (Sánchez, 2020). Finally, Socrates decided to end his life by drinking hemlock in 399 BC (Torres, n.d.). According to Sánchez (2020), this final episode became one of Socrates' great lessons on the need to follow the laws and accept the consequences of our actions.
The most relevant contribution of Socrates to Western philosophy was his technique for arguing a point, known as the Socratic method, which he applied to many things, such as truth and justice (Adhikari, 2019). The Socratic dialogue is based on Socrates' maieutics and is still used in the practice of psychology and various therapies (Castillero, n.d.). According to Adhikari (2019), the Socratic debate is related to basic reasoning, since the ability to discuss a topic involves thoughtful and considered reasoning.
Socrates began conversations by praising the wisdom of his interlocutor and presenting himself as ignorant, using Socratic irony, which guides the first part of the dialogue (Ruiza, Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). He then posed a question and praised the listener's response, but objected to the responses received with successive questions or counterexamples, which confused the interlocutor and led them to recognize that they knew nothing about the subject. According to Ruiza, Fernández & Tamaro (2004), this achievement was essential, as one cannot teach someone who thinks they know everything.
Questions are powerful because they challenge preconceived ideas and enable learning (Sobrado, 2018). Discomfort activates the participants' minds and forces them to use many mechanisms in their brain to find the answer (Sobrado, 2018). The first step to attaining wisdom is to realize that one knows nothing, that is, to become aware of one's ignorance (Ruiza, Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). According to Ruiza, Fernández & Tamaro (2004), after admitting their own ignorance, Socrates led his interlocutors to discover a precise answer to the question posed through the dialogue, in a way so subtle that the truth seemed to emerge as their own discovery.
Interest in the Psyche
Socrates and his disciple, Plato, conducted research and reflected on the existence of the psyche, which they understood as the soul (Castillero, n.d.). During their studies, Socrates noticed that people often worried about thoughts related to money, fame, or appearance, and neglected their spirit (Adhikari, 2019). He believed that his task, entrusted by the gods, was to remind people of the importance of the soul or spirit. Therefore, according to Adhikari (2019), he argued that wealth does not generate greatness, but being a good citizen leads to wealth for all.
In correspondence with Castillero (n.d.), the influence of Socrates and Plato's research on contemporary psychology is evident, as their work helped establish the foundations for reflecting on the contents of the mind, a topic that has been continued by other authors throughout history.
Moral and Ethic
Socrates, one of the most influential philosophers in history, focused on the field of morality and ethics in his thinking (Castillero, n.d.). His main objective was for philosophy to drive a change in people's mood and critical activities, which in turn would have a broader impact on society (Adhikari, 2019). Tovar (2019) notes that, unlike his predecessors who focused on scientific issues, Socrates addressed the problem of ethics in various human practices, as well as what is right or wrong in certain situations.
Socrates believed that man tends to be good and that all vice is a product of ignorance (Castillero, n.d.). Additionally, he believed that goodness, love, kindness, and ethics were based on universal definitions. According to Castillero (n.d.), the philosopher considered that the pursuit of wisdom in virtue was fundamental for the individual to realize their own ignorance.
Inductive Method
It is considered that this precursor of inductivism believed in the existence of universal definitions, but his method of obtaining universal concepts was different (Pastillero, n.d.). He held that these should be obtained from the simple to the complex, that is, from the particular to the general. Furthermore, this thinker believed that people obtained knowledge of truth through their experience, rather than starting from assumed knowledge and taking it for granted. According to Castillero (n.d.), this approach is considered of great importance in the creation of the scientific method, which is characterized by hypothetical - deductive reasoning.
Precursor of Constructivism
Constructivism is an educational movement that focuses on the generation of knowledge through the creation of shared knowledge, which in turn, depends on the individual's ability to comprehend the material being learned (Castillero, n.d.). In other words, as stated by Adsuara (2020), knowledge of reality is constructed by the individual themselves using the available mechanisms. Therefore, each person's individual experience is of great importance in the learning process.
On the other hand, Socrates believed that the goal of education was to teach students how to think instead of what to think (Castillero, n.d.). This implies that the teacher should help the student to generate their own knowledge. In line with this idea, Castillero (n.d.) states that constructivism seeks to enable the student to generate their own learning process through the use of various aids offered by the environment.
Use of Irony and Confrontation
Socratic irony is a method used by Socrates in his teachings, which seeks to understand a person's true essence through an authentic pursuit of knowledge (Adhikari, 2019; Tovar, 2019). This process involves making the subject perceive the contradictions in their discourse and refuting their biased arguments so that they realize their true level of knowledge (Castillero, n.d.). In other words, it encourages the person to assume a position of ignorance so that others can make statements that can then be questioned (Adhikari, 2019). In this way, according to Adhikari (2019), Socrates could claim that his opponents were well-informed and pretend not to know the answer to the question posed.
Confrontation is a strategy used in some psychological therapies to make the individual aware of the contradictions between their speech and behavior. According to Castillero (n.d.), this technique seeks to expose the patient to these contradictions to promote self-awareness. In other words, it aims to make the patient realize the gap between what they say and what they do, which can lead to a greater understanding of oneself and greater coherence in their actions. It is important to maintain coherence in the translation.
Referencias
Adhikari, S. (2019). Top 12 Contributions of Socrates - Ancient History Lists. Ancient History Lists. Recuperado 15 April 2021, a partir de https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/people/top-contributions-socrates/
Adsuara, G. (2020). Qué es el CONSTRUCTIVISMO en Psicología: Origen y Características. psicologia-online.com. Recuperado 15 April 2021, a partir de https://www.psicologia-online.com/que-es-el-constructivismo-en-psicologia-origen-y-caracteristicas-4876.html
Castillero, O. Los aportes de Sócrates el griego a la Psicología. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 13 April 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/aportes-socrates-psicologia
Ruiza, M., Fernández, T., & Tamaro, E. (2004). Biografia de Sócrates. Biografiasyvidas.com. Recuperado 14 April 2021, a partir de https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/s/socrates.htm
Sánchez, E. (2020). 5 grandes lecciones de vida de Sócrates - La Mente es Maravillosa. La Mente es Maravillosa. Recuperado 14 April 2021, a partir de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/5-grandes-lecciones-de-vida-de-socrates/
Sánchez, E. (2020). Sócrates, biografía del padre de la filosofía. La Mente es Maravillosa. Recuperado 14 April 2021, a partir de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/socrates-biografia-del-padre-de-la-filosofia/
Sobrado, J. (2018). Sócrates y la mayéutica: cómo hacer preguntas clave para facilitar el aprendizaje. Learning Legendario. Recuperado 15 April 2021, a partir de https://learninglegendario.com/socrates-y-la-mayeutica/
Torres, A. La teoría epistemológica de Sócrates. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 14 April 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/teoria-epistemologica-socrates
Tovar, P. (2019). 7 Aportaciones de Sócrates a la Filosofía. Lifeder. Recuperado 14 April 2021, a partir de https://www.lifeder.com/aportaciones-de-socrates/
