Aristotle, Plato, Socrates

Philosophy means the study of basic principles and concepts of a branch of knowledge. With a view to improving or reconstructing: the philosophy of science.

Socrates was born not earlier than 471 B.C and no later than May or June 469 B.C. born in Athens. Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus and the midwife of Phaenarete. When young he had received customary instruction in gym and music. But after some years he chose to go his own way and study geometry, astronomy, the methods and the doctrine of the leaders of Greek thought and culture. He started out being a sculptor. In the second century A.D, his was still seen in the road to Acropolis. He abandoned art and went to education. He was put to death because he had an argument about art against the thirty's.
Socrates timeline: Peloponnesian War broke out in 431. Pericles died in the plague of Athens 429 during the war. There was a truce was made in 421. This was never very stable and in 415 Athens was persuaded by Alcibiades. Expedition was destroyed in 413. In 411 an oligarchy ("rule by a few") was instituted in Athens in an attempt to secure financial support from Persia. 405 the last Athenian fleet was destroyed surrender in 404. By 403 democracy was once again restored.

Plato was born into a politically active and wealthy Athenian family. He grew up during the Peloponnesian War 431- 404 B.C.E. Plato served in the military around 409-404 BCE. He was the student of Socrates. He was in an academy dedicated to Academus for twenty years. Plato composed over twenty dialogues. Most of his work was lost in during the middle ages.

Plato timeline: Plato grew up during the Peloponnesian War 431-404 BCE. He served in the military around 409-404 BCE. Government of the Rule of Thirty crumbled in 403 BCE.Plato travelled to the Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily around 387 BCE. Plato came back to Athens in 386 BCE. Worked at the academy in 367 BCE. In 361 BCE, he returned to Athens. Plato taught for the twenty years until he passed away in 347 BCE. According to legend, he died with a pen in his hand. 100-400 CE revived Plato as an early precursor of Christian doctrine.


Aristotle born in Stagirus in the Greek colony of Chalcidice. Aristotle was never Athenian citizen, even though he spent most of his life in Athens. Aristotle's father Nicomachus was court physician to King Amyntas III of Macedon. Aristotle came to Athens to study and joined Plato's Academy. Plato's best student and was thought to be Plato's successor. He stayed at the academy until Plato died. He journeyed to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, where he created a school at Assos at the behest of the ruling Persian vassal, Hermias. Aristotle married Pythias, Hermia’s adopted father. Aristotle returned to Athens to found his own school, the Lyceum. The Lyceum was under Macedonian protection. Lyceum was called a peripatos.

Aristotle timeline: 384-322 BCE. He joined Plato's Academy in 367 BCE. Aristotle remained at the Academy until Plato's death in 347 BCE. Aristotle returned to Macedon at the invitation of King Philip in 343 BCE. Found his own school in 355 BCE. Alexander died during his great Eastern campaign in 323 BCE, and the withdrawal of Macedonian power and protection from Aristotle's Athenian school.