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Plato: Philosophy
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Plato was born in Athens. Coming from a noble family, he aspired to a political career, but soon became upset with the "tyrannic democracy" of Athens, especially when it put his teacher, Socrates (469-399 BC) to death. Plato "turned to philosophy in search of an alternative to the stable and unjust public life of the time. He ... sought unity behind the changing impressions of the visible universe."1 In Athens, Plato, eventually set up a school known as the Academy.
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After spending more than a decade away from Athens after Socrates’ death, Plato eventually returned to found the Academy. There he attempted to turn aspiring politicians into “philosophic statesmen” (Cornford, in Lee, 1974). He ... attempted to turn kings toward philosophy, both through correspondence and personal visits to their courts (Lee, 1974). Plato died in Athens in 347 B.C., leaving behind the unfinished manuscript to The Laws.
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The Greek philosopher Plato (428-347 BC) founded the Academy, one of the great philosophical schools of antiquity. His thought had enormous impact on the development of Western philosophy. Plato was born in Athens, the son of Ariston and Perictione,...
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In 387 Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the institution often described as the first European university. It provided a comprehensive curriculum, including such subjects as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Aristotle was the Academy's most prominent student.
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The influence of Plato has been persistent and unbroken. His Academy at Athens, which opened in about 387 BC, was the first forerunner of today's colleges and universities. It was a school devoted to philosophy, law, and scientific research--primarily mathematics--and it endured as an institution until AD 529, when it and other non-Christian schools were closed by the emperor Justinian.
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Plato's philosophy was based on his theory of a soul divided into three components, reason, will and appetite. He contended that one can identify the parts of the soul because they sometimes clash with each other. A person may crave or have an appetite for something, yet resist the craving with willpower. A correctly operating soul requires the highest part, reason, to control the lowest part, appetite, with assistance from the will.
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