A History of Greek Philosophy / PLATO

PLATO

Student and wanderer—The Dialogues—Immortal longings—Art is love—Knowledge through remembrance—Platonic love

The Republic—Denizens of the cave—The Timaeus—A dream of creation

Metaphysics and psychology—Reason and pleasure—Criticism of the ideas—Last ideals

Search for universals—The thoughts of God—God cause and consummation—Dying to earth—The Platonic education

Plato Complete Works // Plato Home Page & Anthology // Guthrie : Life of Plato and philosophical influences // Research a KeyWord in Plato's Works

This great master, the Shakespeare of Greek philosophy, as one may call him, for his fertility, his variety, his humour, his imagination, his poetic grace, was born at Athens in the year 429 B.C. He was of noble family, numbering among his ancestors no less a man than the great lawgiver Solon, and tracing back his descent even further to the legendary Codrus, last king of Athens. At a very early age he seems to have begun to study the philosophers, Heraclitus more particularly, and before he was twenty he had written a tragedy. About that time, however, he met Socrates; and at once giving up all thought of poetic fame he burnt his poem, and devoted himself to the hearing of Socrates.

For ten years he was his constant companion. When Socrates met his death in 399, Plato and other followers of the master fled at first to Megara, as already mentioned; he then entered on a period of extended travel, first to Cyrene and Egypt, thence to Italy and Sicily.

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Cf.  Plato Complete Works, Plato Home Page & Anthology, Guthrie : Life of Plato and philosophical influences, Research a KeyWord in Plato's Works

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A History of Greek Philosophy : Table of Contents

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