Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher born in Athens, Greece, around 470/469 BC. He served in the Athenian army and fought in many battles. When Socrates retired from fighting in the army, he began to focus on expressing his beliefs. He was not your typical “teacher” or “preacher”; he was a very critical and analytical thinker who helped guide his students and the Athenians during his time. Through his teachings and beliefs, Socrates had a positive and negative influence on the people of his time and modern times. Although he is considered one of the founders of Western philosophy, political philosophy and ethics, his teachings were at odds with the teachings of the democracy of Athens, which led to him being put to death. Along with his philosophical beliefs, Socrates' great thinking led to the creation of the Socratic Method and the Socratic Paradoxes. Socrates' philosophical beliefs and life are not accurately portrayed in the modern world. Since there are no writings by Socrates himself, his life, beliefs and philosophy must be described through the writings of Plato, Aristophanes, Aristotle and Xenophon, Plato being the most informative and reliable source. These writers who mention Socrates in their writings are not always accurate and are sometimes very contradictory and inconsistent. In Plato's writings, it is difficult to distinguish the ideas and beliefs of Socrates from those of Plato. Some historians believe that Plato's beliefs were based on Socrates. Some believe that Socrates' beliefs were interpreted by Plato in his writings. Others believe that Socrates had no ideas of his own. This unclear portrayal of Socrates is known as the Socratic problem. Because the S...... middle of paper ...... are inaccurate and deceptive, the philosopher's quest for knowledge is most successful when the soul is mostly alone” (Connolly). Throughout Socrates' life and after his heroic death, Socrates had a great influence on many of his students. Some of his students included Alcibiades, Critias, Plato, Aristotle, and Antisthenes. These students began writing literature contributing to the Socratic dialogue. Works Cited Connolly, Tim. "Plato: Phaedo." Second Encyclopedia of Philosophy on the Internet. Web.Jowett, Benjamin, trans. Protagoras. By Plato. 1999. EBook Kern, Andrew. “What is Socratic dialogue?” 24 March 2011. Circe Institution. Network. March 24, 2011.Chiodi, Debra. "Socrates." September 16, 2005. The Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Network. September 16, 2005.Taylor, A.E. "The Thought of Socrates." Criticism of classical and medieval literature 1998: 138-183. Net.