Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, known for his method of questioning and for being sentenced to death by the city of Athens.
Socrates left no writings of his own; what is known of his philosophy comes primarily through the accounts of his students, particularly Plato, who documented Socratic dialogues exploring ethics, justice, and knowledge.
His method of teaching through persistent questioning, now known as the Socratic method, aimed to expose contradictions in a person's beliefs and guide them toward clearer understanding, a technique still used in education and law today.
In 399 BCE, Socrates was tried and convicted by an Athenian jury on charges of corrupting the youth and impiety, and was sentenced to death by drinking poison hemlock, a fate he accepted calmly according to Plato's accounts.