In Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley, the reader is introduced to Socrates Fortlow, an ex-convict who has served twenty-seven years for murder and rape. Fortlow is racked by guilt and, seeing the chaos in his town, feels the need to improve not only his own standard of living, but that of others in Watts. He tries to do so by teaching the people of Watts the lessons he believes will solve the many challenges facing the neighborhood. The lessons Fortlow teaches and the methods by which he teaches them are very similar to those of the ancient Greek philosopher for whom Fortlow is named: “'We were poor and from the country. My mother couldn't afford school, so she thought if she named me after someone smart then maybe I'd be smart'” (Mosley, 44). Although the ancient Greek was born to be a philosopher and Fortlow took on the role of philosopher in response to the poor state of his and Watts' life, both brought about the same education required of their populations. Both Socrates use a form of teaching that requires the student to engage in the lesson. They emphasize ethics, logic and knowledge in their instructions and place importance on epistemology and definitions because they believe that a problem cannot be solved if one does not first know what it is. Socrates was essential in first introducing these concepts to the world and seemed to be born with those inherent to his being, Fortlow learned the ideals through life experience and it is a real world application in an area that needs the lessons to get on track. Although the two men have many similarities, their differences are attributed primarily as a result of their circumstances and provide the basis of Fortlow's importance in Watts and as a modern-...... middle of paper ...... Sneaky or Divine." Greece and Rome 2nd ser. 32.1 (1985): 32-41. Web. .Groeller, Alison D. "From Anger to Reason: Race and Politics in Walter Mosley's Socrates Fortlow Novels." Crossroutes: The Meanings of "Race" " in the 21st century. Ed. Paola Boi and Sabine Broeck. Munster: Lit Verlag, 2003. 161-72. Google Scholar. Web. Mosley, Walter. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. New York: Washington Square, 1998. Print. "Socrates." Free study guides for Shakespeare and other authors. Web. 10 March 2012. "Socrates". Print.Wilson, Charles E. Walter Mosley: A Critical Companion Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003.