Beginning of Essay
Socrates was born in Athens, the son of Sophroniscus, a sculptor, and of Phaenarete, a midwife, he received the regular elementary education in literature, music, and gymnastics. Socrates followed the craft of his father; according to a former tradition, he execut ....

Middle of Essay
.... that all vice is the result of ignorance, and that no person is willingly bad; correspondingly, virtue is knowledge, and those who know the right will act rightly. Plato represents Socrates as hidings behind an ironical profession of ignorance, known as Socratic irony, and possessing a mental acuity and resourcefulness that enabled him to penetrate arguments with great facility. Socrates was nonetheless regarded with suspicion by many of his contemporaries, who dislike his attitude toward the Athenian state and the established religion. ....