Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who played an important role in the development of Western philosophy. he studied Socrates also he was a teacher of Aristotle and he found the academy. Plato's biography is drawn mainly from the work of other ancient writers and a few of what are presumed to be Plato's letters. The other significant event was the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, in which Plato served for a brief time between 409 and 404 B.C.E. Plato is one of the most important Greek philosophers. His most famous pupil there was Aristotle. One story says he traveled to Egypt. After founding the Academy, Plato became involved in the politics of Syracuse. According to an anecdote told by the Greek biographer Diogenes Laertius, Plato was originally named Aristocles. Plato was born in Athens, Greece, the son of Ariston and Perictione, both of Athenian noble backgrounds. Plato (427-347 BC) His political and moral philosophy dominates a long chain of thinkers, writers and critics. The Republic was written during this time with its exploration of just government ruled by philosopher kings. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. Other texts in this time period include Protagoras, Euthyphro, Hippias Major and Minor and Ion. His beliefs on the importance of mathematics in education have proven to be essential for understanding the entire universe. Because Aristotle had disagreed with some of Plato’s philosophical treatises, Aristotle did not inherit the position of director of the academy, as many imagined he would. one of the most brilliant and far-reaching writers to have ever lived. He influenced many of the writers or researchers such as Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Pythagoreans. Another source reports that he died while attending a friend’s wedding feast. Plato was probably born in 427 BC, and died around 347 BC, aged about 80. Later in life, after the death of Socrates, Plato traveled around Egypt, Italy, Sicily, and Cyrene, Libya. Dana Plato was a child actress on the television show Diff'rent Strokes. Although both Plato and Aristotle had a similar childhood and upraising and followed some of the same footprints both Aristotle and Plato share both many different moral and beliefs on certain issues such as epistemology, cosmology and body and soul theory. Plato studied with, and represented in writing, Socrates, “the wisest man in the world.” He founded what some consider the first institution for higher learning, the Academy, where he taught Aristotle, whose ideas and influence were probably greater even than his teac… El Greco was a Greek artist whose painting and sculpture helped define the Spanish Renaissance and influence various movements to come. It is believed the school was located at an enclosed park named for a legendary Athenian hero. He had Dion exiled and Plato placed under "house arrest." These dates, however, are not entirely certain, for according to Diogenes Laertius (D.L. Plato grew up in the Greek city-state of Athens during the Classical Period of Ancient Greece. In 407 B.C. Athens, Greece. As a young man, Plato experienced two major events that set his course in life. The circumstances surrounding his death are clouded, though it is fairly certain that he died in Athens around 348 B.C.E., when he was in his early 80s. Over its years of operation, the Academy's curriculum included astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory and philosophy. Plato would eventually leave Syracuse, while Dion later returned to Syracuse and overthrew Dionysius II, only to be usurped by Callipus, another disciple of Plato. The Academy was open until its destruction by Sulla in 84 BCE. One of the greatest Greek philosophers (considered the greatest Greek writer of prose by some), Plato, was born into an aristocratic Athenian family. PLATO – THE ATHENIAN PHILOSOPHER Biography: What was Plato Known for Plato (c.428-348 BCE) Although usually remembered today as a philosopher, Plato was also one of ancient Greece’s most important patrons of mathematics. Among the most important of these abstract objects (as they are now called, because they are not located in spac… No area of inquiry seems foreign to him: his writings investigate ethics, politics, mathematics, metaphysics, logic, aesthetics, and epistemology in tremendous depth and breadth. Well before his encounter with Socrates, Plato was known to accompany philosophers such as Cratylus, a disciple of Heraclitus. It has been sug… His work covered a broad spectrum of interests and ideas: mathematics, science and nature, morals and political theory. Early, Middle and Late Periods: An Overview. 3.2-3.3). Upon the death of Dionysius, according to Plato’s account in his Seventh Letter, Dion requested that Plato return to Syracuse to tutor young Dionysius II. If we understand the term relationship in its most personal sense, it is true that it was understood in its most theoretical sense… Plato's final years were spent at the Academy and with his writing. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato founded the Academy and is the author of philosophical works of unparalleled influence in Western thought. Inspired by Pythagoras, he founded his Academy in Athens in 387 BCE, where he stressed mathematics as a way of understanding more […] Plato Biography - Plato (Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn) (c.427 to c.347 BC) was an immensely influential ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens where Aristotle studied. Eventually, Plato returned to Athens and his Academy. His thought had enormous impact on the development of Western philosophy. The Greek poet Homer is credited with being the first to write down the epic stories of 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey,' and the impact of his tales continues to reverberate through Western culture. One of his more promising students there was Aristotle, who would take his mentor's teachings in new directions. Although historians don't know a lot about Plato's early life they know he came from a wealthy family and likely had two brothers and a sister. But Dionysius fell far short of expectations and suspected Dion, and later Plato, of conspiring against him. Plato was a classical Greek philosopher and mathematician, influencing the realm of Western philosophy. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. PLATO (427- 347 B.C.) For further biographical reading, see also: The Cambridge Companion to Plato, ed. ), following Apollodorus' chronology, Plato was born the year Pericles died, was six years younger than Isocrates, and died at the age of eighty-four (D.L. Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher, one of the three greatest figures of the ancient period of Western philosophy (the others were Plato and Aristotle), who lived in Athens in the 5th century BCE.A legendary figure even in his own time, he was admired by his followers for his integrity, his self-mastery, his profound philosophical insight, and his great argumentative skill. His mother Perictione remarried the politician Pyrilampes. Plato hoped the Academy would provide a place for future leaders to discover how to build a better government in the Greek city-states. He met Socratesaround 407 BC and became his disciple in philosophy. Plato represents the starting point of Western philosophy. His works on philosophy, politics and mathematics were very influential and laid the foundations for Euclid's systematic approach to mathematics. Socrates was executed in 399 BC. He lived his whole life in Athens, although he traveled to Sicily and southern Italy on several occasions. Richard Kraut, Cambridge: 1992. In another reversal of fortune, Dionysius II expelled his uncle Dion, and compelled Plato to remain. Plato was a student of Socrates(who did not write) and the teacher of Aristotle, who founded another university, known as the Lyceum. He authored philosophical works of unparalleled influences. Historians believe this is an indication of Plato's pride in his family lineage. Plato accepted, hoping the experience would produce a philosopher king. They were either never recorded or they were lost or destroyed. His writings deal with justice, beauty and equality, as well as written on aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology and the philosophy of language. © 2021 The Foundation for Constitutional Government Inc. All rights reserved. He remained a diligent disciple of Socrates, and along with Socrates and his renowned student Aristotle, he found the first higher learning academy in Athens.Plato’s philosophy is heavily influenced by Socrates, Parmenides, Heraclitus and Pythagoras. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. THINKERS. His mother, Perictione, is said to be related to the 6th century B.C.E. Both of his parents came from the Greek aristocracy. During this time, or soon after, he began his extensive writing. The Athenian politician, Critias (l. c. 460-40 BCE), was Plato's mother's cousin and studied with Socrates as a young man. Plato wrote about many ideas in philosophy that are still talked about today. Our very conception of philosophy—of rigorous thinking concerning the true situation of man, the nature of the whole, and the perplexity of being—owes a great debt to his work. GREAT After living for a time at the Syracuse court, Plato founded (c.387 B.C.) Plato (423 BC – 348 BC) was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens – the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Plato (Ancient Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn, "wide, broad-shouldered"; c. 428/427 – c. 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, the second of the trio of ancient Greeks including Socrates and Aristotle said to have laid the philosophical foundations of Western culture. Euripides was one of the great Athenian playwrights and poets of ancient Greece, known for the many tragedies he wrote, including 'Medea' and 'The Bacchae.'. The defeat of Athens ended its democracy, which the Spartans replaced with an oligarchy. Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. He was condemned to death for his Socratic method of questioning. Plato, (born 428/427 bce, Athens, Greece—died 348/347, Athens), ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates (c. 470–399 bce), teacher of Aristotle (384–322 bce), and founder of the Academy, best known as the author of philosophical works of unparalleled influence. Two of Plato's relatives, Charmides and Critias, were prominent figures in the new government, part of the notorious Thirty Tyrants whose brief rule severely reduced the rights of Athenian citizens. Some scholars believe that Plato was named for his grandfather, Aristocles, following the tradition of the naming the eldest son after the grandfather. As is common among many of the great philosophers of his day, records about the birth and early life of Plato do not exist. Although Hippocrates probably didn't write the famous oath that bears his name, it serves as foundation for the oath medical school graduates take at the start of their careers. Biography of Plato. One was meeting the great Greek philosopher Socrates. Biography of Plato. He was born in Athens around 428 BC to an aristocratic family with a long and esteemed history of political leadership. he became a pupil and friend of Socrates. Greek statesman Solon. Biography of Plato. According to Diogenes, Plato visited Syracuse while it was under the rule of Dionysius. View seven larger pictures Upon his return to Athens at around 40 years of age, Plato founded the first known institution of higher learning in the West, the Academy, named for its location in the Grove of Academus. Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, together with Socrates and Plato, laid much of the groundwork for western philosophy. Born in the era of ancient philosophy, Plato is one of the world’s most recognized philosophers of classical Greece. The Apology of Socrates seems to have been written shortly after Socrates's death. Plato is one of the most brilliant and far-reaching writers to have ever lived. During this time, Plato nearly faced death in Cyrene. near Athens the most influential school of the ancient world, the Academy, where he taught until his death. Due to a lack of primary sources from the time period, much of Plato's life has been constructed by scholars through his writings and the writings of contemporaries and classical historians. There is some debate among scholars on the order of these writings, but most believe they fall into three distinct periods. When he was in his late teens or early twenties, Plato heard Socrates teaching in the market and abandoned his plans to pursue a literary career as a playwright; he burned his early work and devoted himself to philosophy.It is likely that Plato had known Socrates, at least by reputation, since youth. As with many young boys of his social class, Plato was probably taught by some of Athens' finest educators. It is widely accepted that Plato, the Athenian philosopher, was born in 428-7 B.C.E and died at the age of eighty or eighty-one at 348-7 B.C.E. We strive for accuracy and fairness. He founded the Academy in Athens. According to Diogenes Laertius, who lived many centuries later than the philosophers about whom he was writing, Plato was born to Ariston, an Athenian aristocrat who traced his lineage to Codrus, the king of Athens, and to Melanthus, the king of Messina. Plato's father, Ariston, descended from the kings of Athens and Messenia. In these dialogues, Plato attempts to convey Socrates's philosophy and teachings. Plato, 427?-347 B.C., Greek philosopher. Plato and fellow … Many people associate Plato with a few central doctrines that are advocated in his writings: The world that appears to our senses is in some way defective and filled with error, but there is a more real and perfect realm, populated by entities (called forms or ideas) that are eternal, changeless, and in some sense paradigmatic for the structure and character of the world presented to our senses. Plato – Biography, philosophy, Works, Contribution. Plato’s birthplace and time are not known but it has been estimated between 427/428 B.C. Plato - Biography and Works Plato (427-347B.C. These probably helped develop the foundation for Plato's study of metaphysics (the study of nature) and epistemology (the study of knowledge). His work on the use of reason to develop a more fair and just society that is focused on the equality of individuals established the foundation for modern democracy. Ancient Greek statesman Pericles, leader of Athens from 460–429 B.C., organized the construction of the Parthenon and developed a democracy based on majority rule. If Plato's date of death is correct in Apoll… She fell into drug addiction and died of an overdose in 1999. Plato was born sometime between 428 and 427 B.C. Plato was born in 428 or 427 b.c. Ancient sources offer differing accounts of Plato’s death. And yet modern scholars are in doubt, since the name “Plato” was not uncommon in the Athens of Plato’s day. He was of noble Athenian lineage on both sides. In 367 B.C.E., Plato was invited by Dion, a friend and disciple, to be the personal tutor of his nephew, Dionysius II, the new ruler of Syracuse (Sicily). 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