rting from its dependence upon mythology, began boldly to
assert its ability to find out nature, but ended in a scepticism as to
its power to ascertain certainty. There was a final determination as
to the distinction of reality as external to mind, and this represents
the best product of the early philosophers.

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_The Sophists_.--Following the Eleatics was a group of philosophers
whose principle characteristic was scepticism. Man, not nature, was
the central idea in their philosophy, and they changed the point of
view from objective to subjective contemplation. They accomplished
very little in their speculation except to shift the entire attitude of
philosophy from external nature to man. They were interested in the
culture of the individual, yet, in their psychological treatment of
man, they relied entirely upon sense perception. In the consideration
of man's ethical nature they were individualistic, considering private
right and private judgment the standards of truth. They led the way to
greater speculation in this subject and to a higher philosophy.

_Socrates the First Moral Philosopher (b. 469 B.C.)_.--Following the
sophists in the progressive development of philosophy, Socrates turned
his attention almost exclusively to human nature. He questioned all
things, political, ethical, and theological, and insisted upon the
moral worth of the individual man. While he cast aside the nature
studies of the early philosophy and repudiated the pseudo-wisdom of the
sophists, he was not without his own interpretation of nature. He was
interested in questions pertaining to the order of nature and the wise
adaptation of means to an end. Nature is animated by a soul, yet it is
considered as a wise contrivance for man's benefit rather than a
living, self-determining organism. In the subordination of all nature
to the good, Socrates lays the foundation of natural theology.

But the ethical philosophy of Socrates is more prominent and positive.
He asserted that scientific knowledge is the sole condition to virtue;
that vice is ignorance. Hence virtue will always follow knowledge
because they are a unity. His ethical principles are founded on
utility, the good of which he speaks is useful, and is the end of
individual acts and aims. Wisdom is the foundation of all virtues;
indeed, every virtue is wisdom.

Socrates made much of friendship and love, and thought temperance to be
the fundamental virtue. Without