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Who is the Greatest Philosopher of All Time?

Who is the greatest philosopher of all time? This question is asked a lot, but if you read this paper you will find out who it is. This person trained Plato, his beliefs are the base of Western philosophy, and finally he created a style of debate based on the way he examined topics. If you guessed the philosopher was Socrates you are correct.

The reason it is important that Socrates trained Plato is that Plato taught Aristotle, who taught Alexander the Great, who made philosophy main stream. If he had not done this the domino effect that I just talked about would not have happened and philosophy would not have become main stream and spread to western society. Without philosophy people such as René Descartes, Voltaire, and Niccole Machiavelli’s ideas would not be know. Without their knowledge the world would not be the same. Another reason it is good he taught Plato is that Socrates did not believe in writing things down whereas Plato did. If Plato did not write Socrates’ teachings you and I would not know the beliefs of Socrates.

Secondly, Socrates’ beliefs are the basis of Western philosophy. If his ideas would not have spread, philosophy would be viewed differently in the west. Western Philosophy is based on logical thinking. Eastern philosophy is based on finding who you are on the inside and living in harmony with the world. Socrates came up with his philosophy based on logic. If his style of philosophy had not been become as popular in the west, things like math, science, physics, and astronomy would not be as important as they are today. He also came up with one of the most used styles of inquiry in western philosophy, the Socratic Method. Overall Socrates has made a huge impact on Western Philosophy.

The third thing that Socrates did is he came up with Socratic Method. This style of debate is based on the exchange of questions to find a logical answer. He and his friend Chaerephon often would have debates of this style. Plato formalized the system. This style of debate is very popular with Western Philosophy. The Socratic Method is used today my many law schools and many teachers. It makes people ask and answer questions in a logical manner. This shows why he is the greatest philosopher of all time. His ideas live on today because they are very logical.

These are the three things that represent why Socrates as the greatest philosopher of all time. Once again the reasons are, he trained Plato, his beliefs are the base of Western Philosophy, and he came up with the Socratic Method of Debate. Socrates was so revolutionary at his time he was put to death because of his beliefs. No one even comes close to how much impact he has made on philosophy. This is why Socrates is the greatest Philosopher of all time.