In this essay I will discuss one of the four main philosophical movements of ancient Greek philosophy; namely the Socratic movement. The Socratic turn was a philosophical shift from a natural philosophy to a social philosophy. It was a part of ancient Greek philosophy that set in motion a huge movement of thought that influenced the course of humanity for many centuries. I will try to express my observations on this movement as clearly and specifically as possible. Social philosophy, also described as the philosophical study of social behavior (particularly in humans) was one of the key aspects of Plato's philosophy. However, we must recognize that this was not unique to the Socratic turn, as many other philosophers incorporated social philosophy after Plato. However, our main concern will be Plato's philosophy, since he was responsible for the beginning of the social philosophical movement. Plato incorporated his philosophy primarily through his writings, as well as the dialogues he recorded of his mentor Socrates. The main character in Plato's works was Socrates. Socrates was a philosopher whose life mission was his concern with virtue and the excellence of the mind, or arête in Greek terms. In Plato's Apology, which means explanation in Greek, you can see Socrates' purpose and determination. One of Socrates' most famous lines is the following: “You are not ashamed of wanting to have as much money, reputation and honor as possible, but not even having Mendia, Page. 2 do not worry or think about prudence and truth, and how will your soul be the best it can be? (Kolak and Thomson, 95). Plato's Socrates was very interested in the soul, which will be the next topic of our discussion. The soul,...... in the center of the sheet... declared Aristotle's admiration for him. Clearly a refutation is a sign of a strong influence from Parmenides to Aristotle. In this essay I have discussed the influence that the Pre-Socratics had on both Platonic and Aristotelian movements of thought. Although I have analyzed the former more than the latter, I have elaborated sufficiently to demonstrate that the Presocratics were of great importance to both Plato and Socrates. Pre-Socratic thought was very important in ancient Greek philosophy, as well as for us philosophy students who are trying to learn the roots of great philosophical thought. Pre-Socratic thought was the beginning of philosophy, and philosophers should search for its roots to have a solid philosophical foundation. Works Cited Kolak, Daniel and Garrett Thomson. Longman's standard history of ancient philosophy. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006. Print.