Skip to main content
Log in

Socrates: The First Professor

  • Published:
Innovative Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

History provides us with many heroes after whom we can model our actions. The professoriate has its own historical figures who may be called “heroic professors”. This article proposes Socrates as an archetype of the heroic professor. An analysis of the career, character, and teaching methods of Socrates is used to identify essential qualities which define the professoriate. Further, the example of Socrates can inform and inspire our teaching today.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aristophanes (1962). The clouds (W. Arrowsmith, Trans.). New York: New American Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. New York: Pantheon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camus, A. (1942). Le mythe de Sisyphe [The Myth of Sisyphus]. Paris: Gallimard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlyle, T. (1993). On heroes, hero-worship, and the heroic in history. Berkeley: University of California. (Original work published 1842).

    Google Scholar 

  • Emerson, R. W. (1908). Representative men. London: Dent. (Original work published 1849).

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, P. (1990). Alexander to Actium: the historical evolution of the Hellenistic age. Berkeley: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaspers, K. (1962). The great philosophers: The Foundations. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knox, B. (1993). The oldest dead white European males and other reflections on the classics. New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plato (1936). The dialogues of Plato (B. Jowett, Trans.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. (Original work published 1871).

    Google Scholar 

  • Xenophon (1912). Anabasis and memorabilia (J.S. Watson, Trans.). London: Bell.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Knox, D.K. Socrates: The First Professor. Innovative Higher Education 23, 115–126 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022900208893

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022900208893

Keywords

Navigation