Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher born in Athens, Greece around 470/469 BC. He served in the Athenian army and participated in many battles. When Socrates retired from fighting in the army, he began to focus on expressing his beliefs. He was not a typical “teacher” or “preacher”; he was a very critical and analytical thinker who helped guide his students and the Athenians in his time. Through his teachings and beliefs, Socrates had a positive and negative influence on the people of his time and modern times. Although he is considered one of the founders of Western philosophy, political philosophy and ethics, his teachings were at odds with the teachings of Athenian democracy, leading to his death. Along with his philosophical beliefs, Socrates' great thinking led to the creation of the Socratic method and the Socratic paradoxes. The philosophical beliefs and life of Socrates are not accurately represented in the modern world. Since no writings of Socrates himself exist, his life, beliefs and philosophy must be described through the writings of Plato, Aristophanes, Aristotle and Xenophon, with Plato being the most informative source and the most reliable. Authors who mention Socrates in their writings are not always accurate and are sometimes very contradictory and inconsistent. In Plato's writings, it is difficult to distinguish the ideas and beliefs of Socrates from those of Plato. Some historians believe that Plato's beliefs were based on Socrates. Some believe that Socrates' beliefs were interpreted by Plato in his writings. Others think that Socrates had no ideas of his own. This unclear portrayal of Socrates is known as the Socratic problem. Because the... middle of paper ...... are inaccurate and misleading, the philosopher's search for knowledge is most successful when the soul is most alone” (Connolly). Throughout Socrates' life and after his heroic death, Socrates had a great influence on many of his students. Some of his students included Alcibiades, Critias, Plato, Aristotle and Antisthenes. These students began writing literature contributing to the Socratic dialogue. Works Cited Connolly, Tim. “Plato: Phaedo.” nd Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web.Jowett, Benjamin, trans. Protagoras. By Plato. 1999. Electronic bookKern, Andrew. “What is Socratic dialogue?” March 24, 2011. Circé establishment. Internet. March 24, 2011.Nails, Debra. “Socrates.” September 16, 2005. The Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet. September 16, 2005. Taylor, AE “The Thought of Socrates”. Critique of Classical and Medieval Literature 1998: 138-183. Internet.