Method Man - Plato's Socrates

-Plato (c. 428-347 BC, Athens).
   -Wrote the Socratic dialogues detailing "conversations" with Socrates.
      -Shows us the Socratic method and other stuff.
      -Unfortunately, we can't exactly say that this is an accurate portrayal of Socrates since Plato probably just used Socrates as a foil for his own philosophy and ideas.
      -Wrote "The Apology" (not to be confused with Xenophon's "Apology") detailing Socrates' trial, although it's unclear as to if Plato was actually there or not.
         -In this dialogue, Socrates isn't actually apologetic at all.  However, while Socrates isn't as arrogant in this as he is in Xenophon's "Apology", he still only apologizes for being a bad public speaker haha.
         -Directly addresses "The Clouds" by Aristophanes, and portrays Socrates as anything BUT a sophist in a seeming attempt to set the record straight.
         -Focuses not so much on the charges against him, but rather why he is so unpopular in the first place. 
            -In the dialogue Socrates goes to the Oracle at Delphi, where he learns that he's the smartest man alive, so he goes and tries to test this by asking people shit because all he knows is that he knows nothing.  Socrates finds out that people do know some stuff, but they commit logical errors by going too far in their thinking and reasoning by mistaking what they know for "true knowledge". 
               -Socrates then realizes that the Oracle meant that he's the smartest because he's the only one who realizes that he is not wise. 
                  -This principle is called "Socratic ignorance".  Socrates believes that he is actually doing the public a service in this way because he is guiding them to true wisdom.
                  -Socrates also uses what is called "Socratic irony" to talk to people who are being hypocrites to show them the error of their ways.
                  -Believed also that "no one does wrong willingly".  People will ALWAYS choose what they believe to be "good", even if it isn't.  Therefore, "bad" is chosen only because of incomplete information or ignorance.  Thus, virtue is knowledge!
                     -However, even Socrates knows that his ideas of what it means to be virtuous is flawed.  So why didn't Socrates make mistakes?  Because, according to Plato, he had a "divine sign".
         -Also wrote "Phaedo" about Socrates' death and "Crito" about Socrates' time in prison before his trial and execution.
         -"Euthyphro" is another dialogue by Plato which details conversations with Socrates before his trial.
   -Wrote a lot of other stuff too, of course, which we'll get into later.