Organic Solar Cells History, Principles and Efficiency

Organic Solar Cells History, Principles and Efficiency Solar Cells Solar cells are cells or devices use for converting sunlight into electric cur ­rent (electricity) or voltage. They are also called photovoltaic cells (PV) or devices and the process of generating electricity from sunlight is called pho ­toelectric effect. Solar Energy conversion through photovoltaic effect can be achieved with many materials at different lifetimes. Over the years many research and development have been conducted in the area of solar energy (thin film applications)[1]-[3]. But most of these developments have been in inorganic solar cells with conventional silicon base solar cells dominating in the production of solar energy in the commercial market [4]-[5]. Silicon base cells for thin film application have enormous advantages like good absorp ­tion rate of sunlight, suitable band gap for photovoltaic applications, longer lifetimes and improving efficiency. But the process of silicon base cells gen ­eration of voltage is tedious and above all very expensive fo r the commercial market. Research for alternatives to silicon has been ongoing for some time now with some other inorganic materials like Copper Indium Gallium Sele ­nium (Cu-In-Ga-Se)[6], Cadmium Sulfide (CdS)[7], Lead Cadmium Sulfide (PbCdS)[8], etc. But some have similar production problems like the silicon and as well expensive. Others also are of dangerous elements which are not environmentally friendly (CdS, PbCdS, etc). Another alternative to silicon base cells in terms of thin film (solar cells) research for photovoltaic applica ­tion could be organic solar cells (also known as plastic solar cells)[9]. With this, photocurrents are generated from organic materials. In this review, brief history of organic solar cells is discussed, the basic principle of operation is outlined and some performance in terms of the materials absorption rate, efficiency, stability and degradation and comparison between organic solar cells and inorganic solar cells (silicon) are also discussed. Chapter 2 Organic Solar cells (Plastic Solar cells) The infancy of organic solar cells began in the late 1950s [10]. At this time, photoconductivity in some organic semiconductor cells (anthracene, chlorophyll) were measured with voltage of 1 V by some research groups[11] ­[12].They proposed that if a single layer PV cell is illuminated consisting of an organic layer, sandwich cell with low work function metal (aluminum, Al) and a conducting glass of high work function (indium tin oxide, ITO), photoconductivity will be observed. With this interesting result and less cost effective of these organic semiconductor cells and also a possibility of doping these materials to achieve more encouraging results caught up with many researchers in this field. The work done since has been unprecedented as shown in figure 2.1 on the next page. In the 1960s, semiconducting properties were observed in dyes partic ­ularly in methylene blue [13]. Efficiency of 10−5 % in sunlight conversion was reported in the early 1970s to an improvement of 1 % in the early 1980s [14]. This was achieved through an interesting phenomenon known as heterojunction[15]. This phenomenon is a surface between semiconduct ­ing materials of dissimilar layers. Photovoltaic devices were applied with heterojunction where donor-acceptor organic cells were tailored together. In recent years, photoconductivity has been measured in dyes and the dye so ­lar cells have progressively been improved for laboratory cells[16]. Currently power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics in single-junction devices is over 9 %[17] and that of multi-junction cell is over 12 %[18]. Some materials of organic solar cells are dyes and some polymers like origomers[19], dendrimers[20], liquid crystal materials[21] and self-assembled monolayers [22]. All these need to be prepared carefully to obtain optimum efficiency and stability[23] Figure 2.1: Number of publications is plotted against the year of publications. This shows the inception of organic solar cells and how much interest the field has generated among scientists and the commercial entities over the years. Years below 1990 saw less publication (1960 to 1970 -10 and 1980 to 1990  ­29) compared to the years in the figure. Principle of Operations. In recent time, organic solar cells are of different operations due to their usage. Similar to inorganic solar cells, organic solar cells can be used to convert sunlight into electricity with the aid of a semiconductor. The basic principle behind this operation is outline below: Most organic solar cells have very thin material layer either single or multi-layer where there is a strong absorption of light sandwich between two electrodes, an anode (A) and a cathode (C). The anode (usually indium tin oxide ITO) is transparent and has a high work function. The cathode (aluminum) is opaque and has a low work function. The material layer is usually a photosensitive organic semiconductor. When light of appropriate energy (sunlight) is incident on it, an electron is excited from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to a lower uncopied state called lowest uncopied molecular orbital (LUMO) leaving a hole in the HOMO. This leads to exciton formation. That is, there is a creation of an electron-hole pair which is strongly bounded together. As the electron stays at the LUMO, there is a loss in energy by the electron through thermal relaxation as the electron penetrates the energy band gap. The electron-hole pair diffuses in ­dependent of the electric field and are separated (exciton dissociation) at the interface between the donor state (HOMO) and the accepter state (LUMO). The electron is collected at one end of the electrode (cathode) and the hole at the other end of the electrode (anode) thereby generation photocurrent in the process. If the electron and the hole after separation do not reach the interface, their absorbed energies are dissipated out and no photocurrent is generated. Step by step principle is illustrated in pictorial form below: Figure 3.2: a) Light is incident on an electron (red). (b) Electron is excited from the HOMO to the LUMO creating a hole (black) at the HOMO. (c) Exciton formation of electronhole pair. (d) Diffusion of exciton independent of electric field. (e) Exciton dissociation. (f) Collection of charges. Chapter 4 Performance 4.1 Absorption of light. In organic solar cells, the thin organic semiconducting layer is responsible for light absorption. This layer has a valence band which is densed with electrons and a conduction band. These bands are separated by an energy gap. When the layer absorbs light, an excited state is created. This state is characterized by an energy gap. The energy gap is the energy difference between the higher energy state (LUMO) and the lower energy state (HOMO). It is usually of the range of (1.0 -4.0) eV[24] and it is determined as: Eg = ELUMO − EHOMO . (4.1) Where Eg is the energy gap in electron volts (eV), ELUMO is the energy at LUMO (higher energy state) and EHOMO is the energy at HOMO (lower energy state). The energy gap usually serves as an activation energy barrier. This acti ­vation energy barrier needs to be overcome before an electron is excited from the lower energy state to the higher energy state. The excited electron has energy greater than or equal to this activation energy barrier. This energy is determined as: h.c Ephoton = ≠¥ Eg . (4.2)ÃŽ »photon Where Ephoton is the energy of the incident photon (light), h is Plancks constant (6.626 Ãâ€"10−34 Js), c is speed of light (2.997 Ãâ€"108 ms−1) and ÃŽ »photon is wavelength of the photon (≈ (400 -700) nm). As the excited electron remains at the LUMO, a hole is created in the HOMO. The electron undergoes thermal relaxation as it remains at the LUMO and this result in loss of energy by the electron. This energy loss is compensated for as: El = Eelectron − Eg . (4.3) Where El is thermal energy loss of the electron, Eelectron is the energy of the electron at the LUMO and Eg is the energy gap. Figure 4.1: (a) Thin organic semiconductor layer (with both LUMO and HOMO) with energy gap (Eg). (b) Incident light of greater energy than the energy gap excites electron (red) from HOMO to LUMO. This creates a hole (black) at the HOMO (c) Energy lost by the electron through thermal relaxation. 4.2 Stability and Degradation In solar cell application, long operational lifetime performance is required. To achieve this, stability and degradation are few of the key important issues to look at in real-time application. Over the years, stability of organic solar cells has improved very much in terms of their power conversions[25]. This is clearly shown in the figure below: Ideally the advantages of organic solar cells with their low cost materi ­als, recyclable, easy production and production in large quantities, à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡exibility and durability (low weight), stability should be optimum. These advantages somehow also affect the stability of the organic cells. The active layer (thin organic semiconducting layer) component which is a core component of the cells is sometimes prone to degradations. These degradations occur dur ­ing their production (printing in bulk quantities and rolling them together thereby introducing some mechanical properties which then affect the mor ­phology of the active layer) and also reactions from weathering (UV light, oxygen, water). Extensive work on photo stability of some organic solar cells (large number of polymers) has been investigated by Manceau et al[27]. Figure 4.2: Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) production with progression in years shown. The years below 2010 had lower production of OPVs (> 0.5 MW) [26]. Chapter 5 Comparism between organic solar cells and inorganic solar cells (Silicon base solar cells). Organic and inorganic solar cells serve similar applications but they interest ­ing differences in terms of how they are made. Organic solar cells are cheap in terms of materials, production and are recyclable, they have very thin solar cells with little energy in making them, they are à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡exible, durable and have low weight, they are colourful and they have easy production and can be produced in large areas. But they have low efficiency and lifetime compared to silicon base solar cells. Inorganic solar cells are cost effective in terms of materials, production and are not recyclable, much energy is need to have thin layer cells, they are rigid and not durable, they are of dark grey materials with dark blue to black coat ­ing, they have complicated production and are difficult to produce in large areas. But they have good light absorption rate, better efficiency and longer lifetime. Chapter 6 Conclusion Organic solar cells can be alternative to silicon base solar cells with its in ­teresting applications. They can be fabricated into our day to day usage materials and equipment with low cost technology in serving their purpose. Efficiency and stability still remains areas that should be addressed in the future to optimally have good power conversions.

NAPOLEON :: essays research papers

Napoleon 1 NAPOLEON â€Å"RABULIONE† Napoleon 2 Abstract Napoleon Bonaparte was and still is one of France’s most revered heroes. Though born a Corsican in 1769, he journeyed to France for schooling at the age of nine. After an interesting and quiet childhood Napoleon joined the French artillery at the age of sixteen. Through hard work, bravery, political connections and being born during a turbulent time, Napoleon rose to the rank of General. In 1799 he was elected France’s First Consul For Life, later he proclaimed himself France’s Emperor. Napoleon reformed much of European law and spread the idea of republicanism throughout much of Europe. His ideas continue to be incorporated into Switzerland’s law. Napoleon also reformed schools and strengthened Paris’ reputation as one of the cultural capitals of the world. Napoleon’s life was not without setbacks. In 1814 he was exiled to the island of Elba, by British Allies. He was also exiled to St. Helena after losing battles at Waterloo, Wavre, Ligny and Quatre Bras. He lived in confinement surrounded by British Guards until he died on May 5, 1821. Napoleon 3 Napoleon†¦ â€Å"Rabulione† Napoleone di Bounaparte, who was also known as the â€Å"little Corsican†, was born to Carlo Maria and Letzia Maria Ramolino di Bounaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15, 1769. His family had moved there from Italy in the 16th century. Napoleon was the second of eight living children. He was named after an Egyptian religious figure. He and his older brother Giuseppe were allowed to wrestle, draw on the walls and play games in an undecorated room in the house. Napoleon also received a nickname as a child, Rabulione, which means â€Å"he who meddles in everything†(Bloom 2001). Napoleon was a very small, hot tempered youth. Though small, he would often beat up his older brother when fighting. He hade a very large ego and was very conscientious. As a child his mother often had him follow his father to the local tavern because his father liked to gamble and was not very lucky. He would have to run back and give reports to his mother. Napoleon formed many routines as a child that he continued throughout his life. Firstly, he bathed daily, as Emperor he bathed for an hour each morning before getting dressed. Secondly, he was very generous. He bestowed many awards, honors and titles as Emperor. Napoleon 4 Napoleon started school at the age of five. He was enrolled in a school, run by a nun in 1774.

Techonology and Decision Making Paper Hcs 482

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND DECISION MAKING Technology and Decision Making University of Phoenix Healthcare Informatics HCS/482 Richard Ong November 15, 2008 Technology and Decision Making Technology, decision-making processes, and data accessibility have changed dramatically in recent years. This paper will discuss systems and informatics theories. The paper will confer on the Data, Information, and Knowledge (DIK) Model. The role of expert system in nursing care and medicine will be provided. Decision aids and decision support systems are used everyday providing focus, leadership and direction within technology and will be examined. The use of technology for patient and client management will be explored. An analysis of the impact of technology on healthcare and health status will be investigated. Systems and Informatics Theories Systems are â€Å"a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole† (Systems, n. d. , Definition). Systems describe healthcare, schools, computers, and a person. The systems are either open or closed. Closed systems are inoperable to function with others third party products and open systems are designed to allow third party products to plug in or interoperate with the system. Neither system interacts with the environment. Open systems consist of three characteristics; purpose, functions, and structure (Englebardt and Nelson, 2002). Systems can have more than one purpose based on the needs of the user. Functions that the system will need to carry out need to be identified for the system to achieve its purpose. The â€Å"systems are structured in ways that allow them to perform their functions† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 6). The two types of models used to conceptualize the structure of a system; hierarchical and web (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Some examples of system applications are; institution wide, specialty support, documentation, administrations, operations, expert, stand alone information, and decision support. The study of healthcare informatics incorporates theories from information Nursing science, computer science, cognitive science, along with other sciences used in the healthcare delivery (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Three models that represent the informatics theories are; Shannon and Weaver’s information-communication model, Blum’s model and The Nelson data to wisdom continuum. Shannon and Weaver’s model states that a message starts with the sender and is converted to a code by the encoder. The converted message can be letters, words, music, symbols or a computer code (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). The message is carried by a channel and along with the message noise is transmitted in the space to the decoder where the message is converted to a format that is understood by the receiver. â€Å"Bruce L. Blum developed a definition of information from an analysis of the accomplishments in medical computing† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 12). According to Blum the three types of healthcare computing applications are; data, information and knowledge (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). Data is information that is not interpreted. Data that is processed and displayed is categorized as information and when the data and information are combined and formalized knowledge results (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002). â€Å"A knowledge base includes the interrelationship between the data and information† (Englebardt & Nelson, 2002, p. 13). The Nelson Data to Wisdom Continuum states the four types of healthcare computing applications are; data, information, knowledge and wisdom. The four overlap at all times. Data is the naming, collecting and organizing the message. Information is further organizing and interpreting the message. Knowledge occurs when the message is interpreted, integrated and understood. Wisdom is the ability to understand and apply the message with compassion. Data, Information and Knowledge Model â€Å"Nursing informatics, as defined by the American Nurses Association(ANA), is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing practice† (Newbold, 2008, para. 1). Decision making by healthcare professionals is based on the assimilation of data, information and knowledge to support patient care. Organizing data, information and knowledge for the processing by computers is accomplished through the use of information technology and information structures (Newbold, 2008). The first level is data which â€Å"†¦are recorded (captured and stored) symbols and signal readings† (Liew, 2007, Definitions). Data is bits of information though to just have data is not meaningful to decision making. The second level is information which is organized, interpreted and communicated data between machines or humans. Characteristics of quality information are: complete and clear in its descriptions, accurate, measurable, preferably by measurable objective means such as numbers, variable by independent observers, promptly entered, rapidly and easily available when needed, objective, rather than subjective, comprehensive, including all necessary informati on, appropriate to each user’s needs, clear and unambiguous, reliable, easy and convenient form to interpret, classify, store, retrieve and update† (Theoretical issues, 1998, Concepts). Knowledge is the third level of the model and is the collection of information that is obtained from several sources to produce a concept used to achieve a basis for logical decision-making. The information needs to be useful and applied to be known as knowledge. The final level is Wisdom which â€Å"†¦is the highest level of being able to understand and apply knowledge using compassion† (Theoretical issues, 1998, Concepts). â€Å"Information consists of data, but data is not necessarily information. Also, wisdom is knowledge, which in turn is information, which in turn is data, but, for example, knowledge is not necessarily wisdom. So wisdom is a subset of knowledge, which is a subset of information, which is a subset of data† (Steyn, 2001, para. 2). Without an understanding of the source of data and information which is based on activities and situations, the relationship between data, information, and knowledge will not be understood (Liew, 2007). Expert Systems in Nursing Care and Medicine Medical artificial intelligence is primarily concerned with the structure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs that perform diagnosis and make therapy recommendations. Unlike medical applications based on other programming methods, such as purely statistical and probabilistic methods, medical AI programs are based on symbolic models, such as statistical and probabilistic methods, medical AI programs are based on symbolic models of disease entities and their relationship to patient factors and clinical manifestations’ as defined by Clancey and Shortliffe (1984). Expert systems (ES) in nursing care and medic ine fill an appropriate role with intelligent programs offering significant benefits. They hold medical knowledge containing specifically defined tasks and are able to reason with data from individual patients responding with reasoned conclusions. The advantages of an expert system over a doctor are: 1. A large database of knowledge can be added and kept up to date with the ability of a large amount to be stored. 2. The system does not forget or get facts wrong. 3. The continued existence of the knowledge is forever not lost with death or retirement. 4. The computer can make contact with specialist knowledge that a doctor may not have. . The ES may shorten time to make the correct diagnosis and reduce diagnostic errors. 6. Countries with a large number of population and have physicians are limited can receive medical knowledge leading to prompt care. ES’s are not replacing doctors or nurses but are being used by them stimulating an interrogated large database of knowledge of a human expert. Decision Aids and Decision Support Systems Decision support systems (DS S) are systems that â€Å"model and provide support for human decision-making processes in clinical situations. They are advanced technologies that support clinical decision making by interfacing evidence-based clinical knowledge at the point of care with real-time clinical data at significant clinical decision points†(Gregory, 2006, p. 21). Decision support systems offer various methods of decision support, including recommendations for diagnostic testing, critical lab value alerts, help with diagnosis and advice for clinicians on what medications to use. According to the British Medical Journal, â€Å"Clinical decision support systems do not always improve clinical practice, however. In a recent systematic review of computer based systems, most (66%) significantly improved clinical practice, but 34% did not† (Kawanoto, Houlihan, Balas, & Lobach, 2005, p. 769). Decision support systems can improve patient outcomes however; more studies are needed to develop better systems. Decisions by their very nature are uncertain, medical decisions have the added complexity of involving an individual’s values and beliefs as related to the risk-benefit profiles or uncertain outcomes of medical treatment. The goal of using a decision aid is to help the patient make informed decisions based on his or her belief and value system. Limited and conflicting research on the use of decision aids makes it impossible to determine if having patients use a decision aid would benefit him or her. According to an article published in the Medical Decision Making Journal â€Å"Decision aids are a promising new technological innovation in health care, however, like any new innovation, their widespread adoption needs to be preceded by a careful evaluation of their potential harms, rather than an uncritical promotion of their potential benefits† (Nelson, Han, Fagerlin, Stefanek, & Ubel, 2007, p. 617). Decision aids can be an important addition to promoting shared decision making between the physicians and patient however, decision aids â€Å"may send the wrong message to patients about the goals of decision making, or lead patients to believe that they can reduce or eliminate uncertainty when confronting decisions† (Nelson, Han, Fagerlin, Stefanek, & Ubel, 2007, p. 618) Technology for Patient and Client Management Technology can be used in many areas of patient and client management. Technology is said to have the potential to bring the patient and healthcare providers together creating patient-centered care. The goal of patient-centered care is to empower the patients, give patients choices and tailor treatment decisions based on the patient’s beliefs, values, cultural traditions, their family situations and their lifestyles. Technology impacts this concept when healthcare providers use clinical information systems such as enhanced patient registration systems which uses the internet or onsite wireless devices, using decision aids and decision support systems, Telemonitoring Devices, and the electronic health record. New technology will help healthcare providers with patient management by increasing the ability of healthcare providers to retrieve and apply accurate information about their patients quickly and allow patients to acquire information to improve control of their diagnosis and or treatments and to talk with their healthcare providers. Technology on Healthcare and Health Status Analysis The future holds many technological changes that will affect healthcare directly and help shape our already powerful profession. Technological advances will dramatically change healthcare provider’s roles and the healthcare delivery systems. Computers are not unusual for a patient to use to surf the Internet to find information related to the diagnosis. Patients may also browse the Internet and find conditions here the symptoms are closely related to what he or she is experiencing. He reads all he can find, and when he goes to the doctor he may be informed, misinformed, or over-informed, regarding the possible diagnosis of his problem. Technology presents to the healthcare consumer a tremendous resource of information regarding his healthcare. Computers, biosensors, implants, genetic therapies, and imaging devices are examples of the emerging technologies of the 21st century. Medical artificial intelligence in contexts such as computer-assisted surgery, electrocardiography and fetal monitoring interpretation, clinical diagnosis, and genetic counseling will have a major impact on our future. Telemedicine currently ranges from radiographic consultations across cities to telebiotic surgeries across hemispheres (Cohen, Furst, Keil & Keil, 2006). Interactive disks already assist patients to make more independent medical decisions regarding their care. Devices for home use can help monitor blood pressure and blood glucose or perform a pregnancy test. Technology also helps assist patients with finding information regarding a diagnosis. Although technology is very beneficial to healthcare other concerns continue to exist. Every day healthcare providers use complex machinery, including many types of monitors, ventilators, intravenous pumps, feeding pumps, suction devices, electronic beds and scales, lift equipment, and assistive devices. The directions for use of many of these machines are not self-evident and may be highly complicated. As a result, some patients may endure injury secondary to misuse of the product (Cohen, Furst, Keil & Keil, 2006). The company may also incur unexpected expenses if the equipment becomes damaged and need to be replaced. Similarly, new computer systems present many learning difficulties for healthcare providers. Many computer systems are not user friendly. Computer systems designers are notorious for supplying computers with numerous advanced but obscure functions, but these systems often lack the ability to make daily tasks easier t accomplish. Millions of dollars have een wasted on computer systems that are not used or are underused because the user needs were not assessed before the systems were designed (Thielst, 2007). There remain three basic reasons for the continued increase in healthcare costs: inflation, increased demand for services as a result of federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and expensive technological advances in medicine. Conclusion In conclusion, sign ificant economic and social trends are dramatically altering the forms of healthcare delivery in the United States and the roles played by healthcare providers. Advances in technology, globalization of culture and communication, ever-widening computer applications, aging of the population, and dynamic changes in the healthcare industry are among major developments (Thielst, 2007). To cope with and to contribute to the future of healthcare, the healthcare team must understand how computers are now being used in healthcare, and they must be able to work with computers in a cost-effective manner in their healthcare practice. No matter what delivery system is in place in a particular institution, healthcare providers will find that each is vitally involved with ensuring quality and in discovering measurable ways of monitoring quality. References W. J. Clancey and E. H. Shortliffe, eds. (1984). Readings in Medical Artificial Intelligence: First Decade. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley. Cohen, T. , First, E. , Keil, O. & Wang, B. (2006). Medical equipment management strategies. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 40(3), 233-238. Englebardt, S. P. , & Nelson, R. (2002). Health care informatics: An interdisciplinary approach. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Gregory, A. (2006, January/March). Issues of Trust and Ethics in Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 30(1), Pp. 21-29. Kawanoto, K. , Houlihan, C. , Balas, A. , & Lobach, D. (2005, April 2). Improving clinical practice by using clinical decision support systems: A systematic review of trials to identify features critical to success. BMJ, 330, P. 765-700. Liew, A. (2007, June). Understanding data, information, knowledge and their relationship. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Journal of Knowledge Management Practice: http://www. tlainc. com/article 134. htm Nelson, W. , Han, P. , Fagerlin, A. , Stefanek, M. , & Ubel, P. (2007, October 1, 2007). Rethinking the Objectives of Decision Aids: A Call for Conceptual Clarity. Medical Decision Making, 27(5), Pp. 609-618. Newbold, S. (2008). A new definition for nursing informatics. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Advance for Nurses: http://nursing. advanceweb. com/Article/A-New-Definition-for-Nursing-Informatics. spx Steyn, J. (2001). Data, information, knowledge and wisdom. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from Knowsystem: http://knowsystems. com/km/definition. html System. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Answers. com: http://www. answers. com/topic/system Theoretical Issues. (1998). Retrieved November 10, 2008, from University of Texas at Tyler: http://www. uttyler. edu/nursing/ckilmon/ni/theory. htm Th ielst, C. (2007). The future of healthcare technology. Journal of Healthcare Management, 52(1), 7-10. Retrieved from ProQuest database on November 11, 2008.

Biography of Socrates Essay - 1166 Words

Socrates is known in todays world as one of the greatest philosophers in history. He brought many revolutionary ideas to ancient Athens during his life and even after his death. He had many followers that beloved him even till death. His tragic death only led him to become a martyr for philosophy. Socrates never wrote anything down so what we know of his life is the from the records left by his followers, mainly Plato. Socrates was born around 470 B.C. in Athens to a family with moderate wealth. His father was a mason and his mother was a midwife. He followed his father’s footsteps and became a stone mason as his first job. He was a mason for a few years before he decided to become a philosopher. Because of his family’s wealth, he was†¦show more content†¦Socrates was after the pursuit of truth. Because of this he called everything into question(Philosophypages.com). He believed that ultimate wisdom came from understanding oneself. He believed that the perfect government would come about if it was led by people that had a complete understanding of themselves because they would be able to make the best choices. He believed that knowledge and virtue were inseparable. He said that you could define virtue as right knowledge, and that right thinking and right doing can be distinguished from each other, but they can not be separated.(Sproul 31) Socrates also developed the Socratic Method which is still used to this day. The Socratic Method is the method in which you ask provocative questions in order to try to get your opponent and your audience to think through the problem and to develop their own conclusion(Biography.com). He searched for specific definitions by asking people around the city, from the common to the richest of nobles. Socrates also created ethics based on human reasons. He was deemed the wisest man in Athens by an oracle, but after much thought he realized that he was ignorant but unlike the common man, was wiser for acceptin g his ignorance and he came to the conclusion that ignorance was the beginning of knowledge. He believed that logic was what was left when the facts are exhausted. â€Å"One of the greatestShow MoreRelatedBiography of Socrates, An Annotated Bibliography1581 Words   |  6 Pages Bibliographical Annotations FUTTER, DYLAN. â€Å"Socrates Human Wisdom.† Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review 52.1 (2013): 61-79. Humanities International Complete. Print. Dylan, the senior lecturer of the Department of Philosophy at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and author of several articles provides the argument that a satisfactory interpretation of human wisdom can be given in terms of â€Å"philosophia†.He confirms his analysis by its resolution of some enduring difficulties in theRead MoreThe Recordless: A Socrates Biography867 Words   |  4 Pagesphilosopher Socrates remains, as he was in his lifetime, an enigma, an instructable individual who, despite having written nothing, is considered one of the handful of philosophers who forever changed how philosophy itself was to be conceived†(Nails). A great philosopher named Socrates once changed the very way man perceived nature. Socrates was a man that lived life to its fullest, from being a foot soldier, or hoplite, to freelancing around the town hall barefoot and smelly. Socrates, because heRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Plato s Philosophy1340 Words   |  6 PagesGreek Philosopher Socrates. 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Socrates relinquishes sensual desires i n hopes of spiritual rebirth after death and achieving enlightenment in life. Buddha relinquishes the same ideas, butRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Essay1553 Words   |  7 Pageseducated scholar, and not an angry black reformer. In doing so, he creates a stronger foundation for his own ideas and views, thus giving his need for change a more rational basis. Later, King uses a well-known philosopher in his argument. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadfliesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The First Ones 1562 Words   |  7 Pages(Plato-Biography, egs.edu). His birth name was Aristocles and gained the nickname Platon later on. He had two brothers named Adeimantus and Glaucon (Plato-Biography, egs.edu). When Plato met Socrates, he adopted his philosophy and discussed about virtue. From 409 BC to 404 BC, Plato was in military service during the Peloponnesian War, which was a war between Athens and Sparta (Plato-Biography, egs.edu). After the war, Plato joined the Athenian politics, but shortly left because Socrates, PlatoRead MoreSocrates s Philosophy And Critical Analysis1138 Words   |  5 Pages Socrates [Author Name] [University] Socrates Socrates- A Brief Intro Socrates is known for his imminent contribution in western philosophy. A deep insight into his philosophical theories and concepts was possible only through the works of his disciples, Plato and Xenophon. Socrates left no written record of his writings or dialogues he had with different people across the city of Athens. He had a unique indirect way of diving into the reality of variousRead MoreEssay on Plato1158 Words   |  5 PagesPlato: The Life of Plato Plato was born around 427 BC, in Athens Greece to rich and politically involved family. Platos parents spared no expense in educating him; he was taught at the finest schools. He was taught by Socrates and defended Socrates when he was on trial. Plato traveled to Italy and may have even visited Egypt before founding The Academy. Plato also visited Sicily and instructed a young king there before returning to The Academy to teach for twenty years before his death in 347Read MoreA Comparison of Great Scientists in History Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 469-399 B.C. Much of what he knew he learned from another famous Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Concerning logic and human behavior in general, â€Å"Socrates’ life was inspired by discussion and debate with both the young of Athens and the leading philosophers of his day† (Daintith, Vol. 9 93). He introduced methodical and ordered thinking. Socrates is quoted a s having said, â€Å"It seemed to me a superlative thing to know the explanation ofRead MoreThe Great Philosopher728 Words   |  3 Pagesdid Plato enjoy learning, he also enjoyed wrestling and playwriting. Plato became a follower of Socrates when he was about twenty years old. During 409 BCE-404 BCE, Plato served as a soldier in the Peloponnesian war. After serving in the war Plato considered join the political world, but changed his mind due to the devastation caused by the execution of Socrates in 399 BCE. After the death of Socrates, Plato wrote The Apology . Plato wrote this book to present the idea of self-defence. After writing