Socratic Dialogues

These five dialogues depict the life, death, and philosophical methods of Socrates, as portrayed by his student and philosophical successor, Plato. Meno offers some of the clearest and most compelling examples of the Socratic method in application. In Euthyphro, Socrates examines the concept of piety and displays his propensity for questioning Athenian authorities. Next, in the Apology, we find Socrates defending himself in court against charges of impiety and corruption of the youth. Crito shows Socrates choosing to accept the resulting death sentence rather than escape Athens and avoid execution. And in Phaedo, Socrates reflects on the immortality of the soul before carrying out his own sentence.