How do we still use Socrates ideas today?

*** Ancient Cynics—Their Origins and Beliefs
Ancient Greece was a hotbed of discussion and debate. Over the centuries leading up to our Common Era, men such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle propounded the philosophies that made them famous. Their teachings had a profound effect on people, and such ideas are still found in Western culture.
Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.) argued that lasting happiness is not to be found in the pursuit of material things or the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. He asserted that true happiness results from a life devoted to the quest for virtue. Socrates considered virtue to be the ultimate good. To attain this goal, he rejected material luxuries and unnecessary endeavors because he felt that these would distract him. He espoused moderation and self-denial, leading a simple, frugal life.
Socrates developed a mode of teaching known as the Socratic method. While most thinkers presented an idea and provided supporting arguments, Socrates did the opposite. He listened to the theories of other philosophers and sought to expose flaws in their ideas. This approach encouraged a critical and contemptuous attitude toward others.
Among the followers of Socrates was a philosopher named Antisthenes (about 445-365 B.C.E.). He and a number of others took the basic teaching of Socrates a step further by saying that virtue was the only good. To them the pursuit of pleasure was not merely a distraction but a form of evil. Becoming extremely antisocial, they displayed great contempt for fellow humans. They became known as Cynics. The name Cynic may have been derived from a Greek word (ky•ni•kos′) that described their morose and surly behavior. It means “doglike.”

***There are also various ideas about what happens to the soul when a person dies. According to the book History of Western Philosophy, the Egyptians developed the view that “the souls of the dead descend into the underworld.” Philosophers later argued that the souls of the dead did not descend into a dark underworld but actually ascended to a higher spirit realm. The Greek philosopher Socrates is said to have held that at death the soul “departs into [an] invisible region . . . and spends the rest of its existence with the gods.”

*** Students of history may well recall the Greek philosopher Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.), whose views and teachings were seen as a corrupting influence on the morals of the youths of Athens. This caused great consternation among political and religious leaders of the Greek hierarchy and led to his death. His plea before the jury that eventually convicted him remains one of the most eloquent defenses of freedom of speech: “If you offered to let me off this time on condition that I am not any longer to speak my mind in this search for wisdom, and that if I am caught doing this again I shall die, I should say to you, ‘Men of Athens, I shall obey the God rather than you. While I have life and strength I shall never cease to follow philosophy and to exhort and persuade any one of you whom I happen to meet. For this, be assured the God commands . . .’ And, Athenians, I should go on to say, ‘Either acquit me or not; but understand that I shall never act differently, even if I have to die for it many times.’”