Socrates (c. 469 - 399 BCE) was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy; he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers; especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon; and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Many would claim that Plato's dialogues are the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity.

Through his portrayal in Plato's dialogues; Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics; and it is this Platonic Socrates who also lends his name to the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic method; or elenchus. The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions; and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions are asked not only to draw individual answers; but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand. It is Plato's Socrates that also made important and lasting contributions to the fields of epistemology and logic; and the influence of his ideas and approach remains strong in providing a foundation for much western philosophy that followed