Plato
Greek philosopher of the Classical period, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle, and founder of the Academy in Athens (c. 387 BCE) — the institution that would shape Western philosophy for nine hundred years. Born around 428/427 BCE into an aristocratic Athenian family, Plato came of age in a city traumatized by the Peloponnesian War, and was deeply marked by the trial and execution of Socrates in 399 BCE. From the establishment of the Academy onward, he wrote the dialogues that have been read continuously for two and a half millennia — the Apology, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus, Meno, Republic, Theaetetus, Timaeus, Sophist, Statesman, Philebus, Laws, and dozens of others — through which he developed the Theory of Forms, the tripartite soul, the cardinal virtues, the philosopher-king, the allegory of the cave, the chariot of the soul, and the doctrine of recollection. Whitehead's quip that 'all of Western philosophy is footnotes to Plato' is, if anything, an understatement. He died in Athens around 348/347 BCE.
114
quotes in library
Quotes by Plato
114 quotes“From those, to beautiful knowledge.”
ladderSymposium
“And from beautiful knowledge, to Beauty itself.”
ladderSymposium
“This is the highest journey of the soul.”
journeySymposium
“What is most beautiful is also most true and most good.”
beautySymposium
“The three are one.”
truthSymposium
“Justice consists in giving each his due.”
justiceRepublic Book I
“And to harm no one — neither friend nor enemy.”
harmRepublic Book I
“For to harm anyone is to make them less, and the just man does not make less.”
harmRepublic Book I
“Socrates taught me to question everything.”
socratesLetter VII
“Especially what I am most sure of.”
sureLetter VII
“For what we are most sure of is often most likely to be wrong.”
sureLetter VII
“The first step in wisdom is to admit how little we know.”
wisdomApology
“This was the wisdom of Socrates.”
socratesApology
“And in admitting it, he was wiser than those who claimed to know.”
admissionApology
“In the end, the philosopher must give up everything for the truth.”
philosopherApology
“Including life itself, if necessary.”
lifeApology
“This is what Socrates did.”
socratesApology
“He drank the hemlock rather than abandon the inquiry.”
socratesPhaedo
“This is the model of the philosophical life.”
modelPhaedo
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