The Pre-Socratic philosophers were primarily concerned with universal principles or metaphysics.
With Socrates, the focus shifts to the topic of "virtue" and it is even safe to say that Socrates was in rebellion against the pre-Socratic philosophers. He frowned greatly upon the study of nature and taught that our primary concern should be with how we ought to live and the focus of virtue.
Consequently, Socrates did not address nature or metaphysics but, it seems through the writings of his student Plato, devoted his attention to moral questions and concerns.
Plato was born in Athens to a politically powerful and aristocratic family. He came under the influence of Socrates during is youth and set aside his ambitions for a political career after Socrates' execution. He was 31 years old when Socrates died and he lived to be 82 years of age. He founded a school in Athens that he called "The Academy" and which was a prototype of the contemporary University.
Plato wrote in the form of dialogues. The writings focus upon "dialogues" between Socrates and several other speakers. These writings were composed over a period of about 50 years.
The most famous of these dialogues is "The Republic" and "The Symposium."
The dialogues are regarded by many as great works of both philosophy and also literature and are extremely artistic and thoughtful and present some of the finest most beautiful Greek prose ever written.
Plato was a very creative philosopher and it seems that his career in philosophy was launched by the death of Socrates. It should be said that the death of Socrates was a traumatic event for Plato as well as for all of those who were Socrates' followers.
The man Socrates evidently possessed a spell binding presence among those with whom he came into contact but suddenly his charismatic influence was no longer. He was condemned to death due to "impiety" and also corrupting the youth of the day by the Greek political establishment.
Plato and other writers attempted to "keep Socrates alive" so to speak by writing the Socratic dialogues. There is little doubt that the purpose of doing so was to prolong the purpose, teachings and life of Socrates, as well as to defend his reputation since, in the eyes of his followers, Socrates had been unjustly condemned and was in fact an educator of the young and not the corrupter.
