Final answer:
Socrates is recognized as the first moral philosopher during the Classical Period of Greek philosophy. He initiated the inquiry into moral standards using reason, marking the beginning of the field of ethics.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Classical Period of Greek philosophy, Socrates is recognized as the first moral philosopher. While the Presocratics had indeed paved the way for logical and philosophical thought, it was Socrates who sought to establish a basis for moral standards using reason alone. This approach marked the initiation of ethics as a field of philosophy, independently from the divine narratives of the gods that had traditionally governed moral beliefs.
Socrates's method of inquiry into the nature of the 'good life' led him to challenge the existing societal norms and to question the foundations of morality, which were previously grounded in myth and tradition. His influence as a moral philosopher is underscored by his legacy as a teacher to Plato, who, in turn, taught Aristotle, forming an extraordinary intellectual lineage in Western thought.