person428–348 BCE

Plato

Disciplines:

Summary

Athenian philosopher — student of Socrates — founder of the Academy — author of 36 dialogues including The Republic, Symposium, Phaedo, and Meno — who created the Theory of Forms and whose vision of the philosopher-king defined Western political philosophy.

Core Contribution

Creates the Theory of Forms and the framework for Western idealism — Plato's Theory of Forms (that physical things are imperfect copies of ideal forms that reason can apprehend) and his Republic's argument that philosophers should rule produced the metaphysical and political framework that Western philosophy has spent 2,500 years either following or arguing against.

Key Spikes & Highlights

Whitehead's remark that Western philosophy is 'a series of footnotes to Plato' is the most accurate compression of intellectual history — the Theory of Forms, the philosopher-king, the immortality of the soul, the nature of love, the ideal city, the problem of knowledge: all still debated 2400 years later in Plato's original terms
Tried to make Dionysius I and II of Syracuse into philosopher-kings and failed twice — nearly sold into slavery on the second trip; his actual attempt to implement the Republic's political vision proved that the gap between ideal theory and political practice was unbridgeable even by the theory's author

Notable Works & Achievements

The Republic

Symposium

Phaedo

Meno

Timaeus

Phaedrus

Apology

Gorgias

Theaetetus

Laws

Historical Influences

Socrates Pythagoras Parmenides

Intellectual Lineage

Athens Socrates Sicily Academy

Contemporaries & Peers

Aristotle Socrates Dionysius of Syracuse

Minds Influenced

Western philosophy Christianity Islamic philosophy

Intellectual Posterity

Theory of Forms The Republic The Allegory of the Cave Academy Platonic love Western idealism

Discussing

Plato

Ask anything about Plato — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.

person428–348 BCE

Plato

Disciplines:

Summary

Core Contribution

Key Spikes & Highlights

Whitehead's remark that Western philosophy is 'a series of footnotes to Plato' is the most accurate compression of intellectual history — the Theory of Forms, the philosopher-king, the immortality of the soul, the nature of love, the ideal city, the problem of knowledge: all still debated 2400 years later in Plato's original terms
Tried to make Dionysius I and II of Syracuse into philosopher-kings and failed twice — nearly sold into slavery on the second trip; his actual attempt to implement the Republic's political vision proved that the gap between ideal theory and political practice was unbridgeable even by the theory's author