Socrates

Meaning of Socrates

Socrates, derived from the ancient Greek Σωκράτης, unites the root sōs, “safe” or “sound,” with kratos, “power” or “strength,” conjuring a vision of intellectual fortitude as steadfast as a marble column supporting the temple of Western philosophy. Its resonant cadence has rippled through two millennia, from Athenian stoae to Roman forums, where Cicero and his ilk inscribed the name in Latin commentaries as Socrates, thus cementing its status in the literary canons of both republics. Etymologically, the name delineates a conceptual nexus in which the safeguarding of mind intersects with the dominion of reason, much like the Socratic method’s lamp illuminating the caverns of ignorance. Invoked under the stern aegis of Nosce te ipsum—“know thyself”—it evokes a disciplined quest for self-knowledge, albeit with a wry undertone: parents who bestow it need not fear any modern-day courtroom’s verdict, though the original bearer’s acquaintance with hemlock proved irrevocable. Yet even this fatal irony cannot diminish the name’s enduring warmth, akin to sunlight flooding a portico, offering families a venerable yet adaptable appellation that anchors their son in a lineage of probing intellect and unyielding inquiry.

Pronunciation

Greek

• Pronunced as SOH-kruh-teez (/ˈsɒkrətiːz/)

• Plato
• Aristotle
• Archimedes
• Thales
• Xenophon