was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher.
Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is
an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the Socratic method
(also known as method of elenchus, elenctic method, Socratic
irony, or Socratic debate), named after the classical Greek philosopher
Socrates The Socratic method is a form of inquiry and debate
between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking
and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to
illuminate ideas. It is a dialectical method, often involving
an oppositional discussion in which the defense of one point
of view is pitted against the defense of another; one participant
may lead another to contradict himself in some way, thus strengthening
the inquirer's own point.