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American History

40 of the Most Influential People of All Time

Marie Curie - Pierre Curie

13. Socrates

A portrait of Socrates in the Lourve. Marble, Roman artwork (1st century), perhaps a copy of a lost bronze statue made by Lysippos. Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain.

Not much is known about Socrates through his writings. Instead, what we know about him is from his most famous pupil, Aristotle. Socrates’ thought helped lay the foundation of Western theory and philosophy, particularly in regards to ethics. “Socratic thought” refers to an approach in which people create their own knowledge by exploring the world on their own rather than reciting dogma that other people have told them.

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