
Socrates is philosophy’s martyr. Sentenced to death in 399 BCE Athens for ‘corrupting the minds of the youth,’ Socrates never wrote anything down. We know of his era-defining thinking only through the writings of his contemporaries, particularly his student Plato.
The influence of Socrates on the history of Western philosophy is difficult to overstate. By influencing Plato, who in turn set up the Academy to influence many philosophers including Aristotle, Socrates laid the foundations for the entirety of the west’s intellectual canon.
Plato’s Socratic dialogues — some of the most wonderful works in the history of philosophy — feature Socrates in lively conversation with influential Athenians on a wide range of subjects, from epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics to art, justice, and politics, in an attempt to find certain knowledge.
Follow Philosophy Break on Twitter to get distilled wisdom from the great philosophers directly in your Twitter feed.
Follow Philosophy BreakIn Plato’s dialogues, Socrates is presented as unfailingly ruthless in his hunt for certainty. He uses what is now known as the Socratic method — a form of argumentative dialogue that uses incisive questioning to stimulate critical thinking and draw out presuppositions — to show up his interlocutors as being entirely lacking in whatever knowledge they may have claimed to hold at the beginning of the discussions. He infamously declares (in what’s now referred to as the Socratic paradox) that the only certain knowledge is that we know nothing.
Socrates’s activities, though perhaps noble in their pursuit of truth, made a lot of powerful people in Athens look very foolish. A hero to some, a nuisance to others: Socrates became a popular, controversial figure — occasionally ridiculed in the plays of the comic dramatists of the period, and eventually sentenced to death by the Athenian authorities.
Everything we know about Socrates, presented as he is through legend and the writings of others, must be taken with a pinch of salt. Nonetheless, his legacy as the brilliant martyr of philosophy remains secure, decorated by an epitaph of his own making:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
This reading list consists of the best introductions and discussions of Socrates’s thinking, as well as the best primary sources from ancient times that document his life and philosophy. Let’s dive in!
Published in 1991, Gregory Vlastos’s celebrated Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher is a fantastic place to start for anyone with an interest in Socrates and his central place at the turning point of Western philosophy. Considering Socrates never wrote anything down, Vlastos provides a clear, illuminating assessment of ancient source material to paint a vivid picture of Socrates the man, as well as Socrates the great philosopher. With its consistent, considered, nuanced analysis on the Socratic search for how we should live, Vlastos’s book is essential reading for anyone interested in why Socrates is one of the most important figures in philosophy.
If you’re seeking to dive a little deeper with your Socrates scholarship, look no further than The Cambridge Companion to Socrates, edited by Donald R. Morrison in 2010. Morrison draws together a fantastic collection of essays from various scholars discussing Socrates’s views on knowledge, reality, politics, ethics, love, and the arts. With its 436 pages packed full of insight — with chapters ordered in a linked, progressive sequence — this collection of essays is a brilliant accompaniment for those seeking a deeper understanding of Socrates’s thought.
Turning from introductions to ancient primary sources, where better to start than with a tome still routinely adored and studied by undergraduate philosophy students to this day? Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates includes four superb dialogues — Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo — that cover the trial and death of Socrates in 399 BC. Serving as an ideal introduction to the Socratic dialogues, the works in this collection are among Plato’s earliest and record Socrates debating the nature of piety, justice, death, and the immortality of the soul in brilliant, highly-charged prose. Hugely entertaining and wise — a collection to defy anyone who thinks philosophy is boring or stuffy — The Last Days of Socrates belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Socrates, Plato or the happenings of ancient Athens.
A famous comic play in its own right, the ancient dramatist Aristophanes’s The Clouds provides a sharp contrast to the rather heroic and wise Socrates we find in Plato’s dialogues. The Clouds lampoons Socrates as a comic figure. In fact, some of the accusations that Socrates faces in Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates find their origin here, with the play possibly impacting Socrates’s chances of receiving a fair trial. As well as it being incredible that we have this 2,500-year-old counterpoint to Plato, Aristophanes’s play is an important read philosophically, revealing common rebutalls Socrates faced from his contemporaries. For those looking to broaden their perspective on Socrates, this is an essential read.
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all of Plato’s Socratic dialogues, it doesn’t get much better than Plato: Complete Works, edited and introduced by Cooper and Hutchinson. The entire surviving corpus of works attributed to Plato is presented here in modern translations with useful contextual information on composition and chronology, as well as essential discussion on the extent to which the Socrates that features in each text is the historical Socrates himself, or Socrates the Platonic character, whom Plato preserved even after Socrates’s death (as discussed in our Plato reading list). This is unarguably the definitive edition of Plato’s writings in English, in which his profoundly thought provoking and entertaining dialogues sing. At 1,800 pages, it’s a beast of an anthology — but you won’t need another!
Are there any other books you think should be on this list? Let us know via email or drop us a message on Twitter or Instagram.
In the meantime, why not explore more of our reading lists on the best philosophy books:
Essential Philosophy Books by Subject
COMING SOON
Enhance your approach to life by exploring 7 of the world’s wisest and most influential philosophies for living — including Stoicism, Buddhism, and Existentialism. Register your interest now:
Stay notified on when the course is ready and secure a launch discount.
★★★★★ (50+ reviews for our courses)
NEW!
NEW!
6-DAY COURSELearn everything you need to know about Nietzsche in just six 30-minute daily chapters. This course distills his best and most misunderstood ideas, from God is dead to the Übermensch.
★★★★★ (12 reviews)
Learn More about Course★★★★★ Amazing
This course is amazing! You can agree or not with Nietzsche’s views, but the professionalism, the methodology, the clarity, and deepness of the investigation is really comprehensive. I totally advise philosophy fans to do this course.VERIFIED BUYER
Elsa V. on 6 December 2022★★★★★ Very informative
Very good and informative. Written with easy and comprehensible language. Enjoyed throughout - every line of the course was a delight. Keep doing what you're doing!VERIFIED BUYER
Milad A. on 24 November 2022★★★★★ Excellent
The course was interesting and challenging and exceeded my expectations. The content was excellent, stimulating, and well written. A lot of depth was shared on each topic. There is much to learn from this great thinker. Thank you for the opportunities.VERIFIED BUYER
Robert J. on 19 July 2022Why does anything exist? Do we have free will? How should we approach life? We’ve distilled the great philosophers’ best answers to life’s big questions. Start enriching your mind today.
★★★★★ (39 reviews)
Learn More about Course★★★★★ Great intro
A great overview and motivating for further study. Course delivery worked great - one-a-day was just right and I was left excited for the next day's delivery. I liked the way the context was set and particularly liked the fact that guidance was given - major topics, easy explanation of each. Overall a great intro to get started and I particularly appreciate the recommended reading lists for each, too.VERIFIED BUYER
Antony H. on 4 June 2023★★★★★ Great
The course is a very well-written, interesting overview of the main ideas in philosophy. It’s a concise, yet not superficial, exploration of the big questions, written in a way that challenges you to reframe your understanding on life. My favorite chapter was the Descartes and Matrix one (#2?). Thanks for this - it was great!VERIFIED BUYER
Terence B. on 10 March 2023★★★★★ Endlessly fascinating
Awesome, endlessly fascinating course experience. The content was very interesting and easy to understand, and made me want to dive deeper into the topics. My favorite chapter was chapter 5: 'How should we approach life?'. It was so fascinating that after reading it I was reflecting for like 2 hours!VERIFIED BUYER
Alex K. on 18 December 2022Each philosophy break takes only a few minutes to read, and is crafted to expand your mind and spark your curiosity.
What is philosophy? Why is it important? How can it improve your life? Discover the answers to all these questions and more with our free, 3-lesson introductory email course:
★★★★★ (50+ reviews for our courses). Unsubscribe any time.