Plato: Overview of The Legendary Philosopher, Founder Of The ACADEMY

This post is not intended as an addition to the already large literature of platonic scholarship, but as an encouragement and help to ordinary people who wish to make an acquaintance with the works of plato and the platonic world.
For this reason I will be introducing us to plato, his early life and the environment he grew in, his influences and some of his works, quotes.

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HIS EARLY LIFE

An understanding/study of the environment a man hails from helps in the understanding of the man as it is psychologically believed in cognitive psychology that the environment impacts in a man; some behaviors i.e. The environment is a factor in determining who a man was, is and will be.
Plato was born in Athens into an upper class family and he was the founder of the ACADEMY (the first institution in the western world).

THUCYDIDES history of the period should be considered for reading by anyone who wants to to understand the history of plato.

Plato lived to see the first beginning of an empire of a very different sort and the intervening period (a period of time that separates two events or period of time) of constant and inconclusive warfare between little Greek states.

Plato reacted with moral attitude in Greece at a national and personal level, with an attitude which valued honor and glory above the virtues which made people live in unity. He said to one of the empires:

“not moderation and uprightness but harbors, walls, dockyards, and tribute money and such nonsense, were what they filled the city with”

To the Evil In Greece

The strife between (interstate) and within (intrastate); Plato thought;

“That civil strife could be ended by a good system of governance and to describe and justify such a system was one of his main goals”

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INFLUENCES

Influence is the effect that somebody or something has on the way a person behaves or thinks or on the way that that something works or develops…

A person can be influenced by somebody or something and at the same time, also have influence somebody or something. Plato was influenced by some people and also influenced some people… and they will be seen as we read on.

People who influenced Plato

Heraclitus Of Ephesus

Plato had some early association with the philosophy of Heraclitus of Ephesus or with one or more of his followers and the effect of their influences is seen in plato’s conception of the sensible world as constantly changing….

Parmenides And Zeno

Plato was strongly influenced by Parmenides and Zeno of Elea in Plato’s theory of the forms intended to satisfy the Parmenidean requirement of metaphysical unity and stability in knowable reality.

Pythagoreans

It is claimed that plato visited several Pythagoreans in south Italy. Plato’s Pythagorean influence seem very evident in his fascination with mathematics and in some of his political ideals expressed in different ways in several dialogues….

Socrates

Without much ado, it is plain that no influence on plato was greater than Socrates, his teacher.
This influence is very evident in his many doctrines and arguments found in plato’s dialogues but perhaps, most obvious in plato’s choice of Socrates as the main character of most his works.

People Plato influenced

Aristotle
Augustinus
Cicero
Anselm of Canterbury
Nicollo Machiavelli
Rene Descartes
Thomas Hobbes
Martin Heidegger
Friedrich Nietzsche
Gotterfried Wisheim Leibniz
Arthur Schopenhauer
Hannah Arendt
Hans-Gorg

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Plato’s Work

His work is believed to have survived intact for over 2400 years. His main interests included; metaphysics, ethics, politics, epistemology, rhetoric, art, literature, education, society, friendship, love.
Studies of content and style resulted in the division of plato’s work into three groups

Early or Socratic Dialogues

These works represents dialogues/conversations in which Socrates tests others on issues of human importance without discussing metaphysics and the works includes
Apology
Crito
Charmides or Temperance
Laches or Courage
Lysis or Friendship
Euthyphro
Ion

Middle Dialogue

This literary masterpiece works contains views originating with plato on on some human issues, together with a sketch of metaphysical position and these works includes
Giorgas
Protagoras
Meno
Euthydemus
Cratylus
Phaedo
Phaedrus
Symposium
The Republic
Permenides
Theatetus

Late Dialogues

The later dialogues are deeper expressions of the philosophy of the earlier ones and they are the the most difficult of plato’s work. They treat metaphysical position in a fuller and more direct way. These works includes;

1. Sophist
2. Statesman
3. Philebus
4. Timaeus
5. Critias
6. Laws
7. The seventh letter

PLATO'S QUOTES

Deception And Fraud

Everything that deceives may be said to enchant

The Republic

Democracy

Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.
The Republic

Humans And Human Nature

Man is a biped without feathers

Justice

Mankind censure injustice, fearing that they may be the victims of ith and not because they shrink from commiting it.

Love

At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet....

HIS DEATH

Plato lived to eighty and was old enough to have fought in a part of the was as it is required of all of the citizens.

I believe with the little i have provided for us on Plato, we the aspiring Platonic students have an overview of the person in whose footprints we want to walk and learn from and i wish us all safe journey in being better philosophers, finding truth in lies, validity in invalids, and make sense out of nonsense... Remember for you to be a philosopher you have to be prepared to think out of the box... think outside the circle... probe everything you see...
KEEP LEARNING.....KEEP GROWING...KEEP GROWING

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