Plato

does not know” (Plato 23b). This account of the trail, written by Plato has been argued to be the most accurate story compares to others since he first hand, had witness the speech himself (Burnet 63). Socrates was a 70 year old man being placed on trial for the corruption of youth and impiety, claiming to not be wise in many extents. He was known to be a very talent speaker with the use of many metaphors and analogies which he warns the jury about, in advantage to his defense (Plato 17 b-c).…

Meno was written by Plato, an ancient philosopher who was the follower of idealism. In his works, the author defined the idea as something unreachable but, at the same time, the core of everything. In Meno, he presents a dialogue between Socrates and Meno, who are discussing a phenomenon of human virtue. They are contemplating about the meaning of being good and the possibility of getting such quality as goodness (Plato). This dialogue can be divided into several nominal parts with each…

Plato's Republic was written as a biting political critique, a revolutionary piece about the state of society and how it must be improved. However, Plato also delves into philosophy in the Republic and while the Analogy of the Cave is an extremely politically charged statement, it reveals much about Plato's ideas about epistemology and philosophy. Plato starts in his usual dialogue style of writing, by imploring Glaucon (Plato's brother) to imagine men in a cave, chained in such a way that…

corruption of youth by Aristophanes, but is dismissed by Plato’s Socrates. This Socrates states that “I cannot justly be held responsible for the good or bad conduct of these people, as I never promised to teach them anything and have not done so” (Plato, 33a-33b). What Socrates means by this is that he is not a teacher. People choose to come listen to him and he allows them to. He doesn’t accept any sort of payment in exchange. Therefore, he is free from any responsibility of the actions of a…

Widely considered the forerunner to modern western democracy, ancient Athenian democracy dominated the political landscape of Ancient Greece for many years. The transition from oligarchy to democracy did not occur overnight; rather it came through the empowerment of the lower classes in the Athenian military of the fifth and fourth centuries. This focus on the lower classes is of the utmost importance when examining Athenian democracy, as they were the primary beneficiaries of democracy, and as…

H. Nichols notes that while eros can be translated as "love," Plato also used this word in connection with words derived form the root phil-, which translates as "'love of wisdom.'" In the Phaedrus, Socrates criticizes rhetoric not on the grounds of politics or justice, but rather in its deficiencies in regards…

Everyone Except the Poet The main reason that Plato composed The Republic was to define justice and and to oppose the teachings of ancients Greek philosophers such as Socrates. In Plato’s republic political justice is very important and the structure of society is vital to its success. The way in which the social classes Plato creates (producers, auxiliaries and guardians) interact with one another is the central thesis of the book. By the end, Plato has defined how the harmony between these…

The Trial and Death of Socrates, translated by Benjamin Jowett, is a series of dialogues written by Plato that tell of the court hearing, indictments, and fate of one of the most renowned philosophers: Socrates. Although he is now recognized and praised as the founding figure of Western philosophy and an intellectual genius, he was tried and condemned to death for his practices. Socrates was best known for his unkempt appearance, moral integrity, probing questions, frugal lifestyle, and his use…

take the form of spoken word, especially during festivals and events. Plato believed, however, that these forms of art including poetry, tragedies, and paintings were actually harmful to the average man or woman, and that these arts were dangerous due to the glamorization of outward appearances and irresponsible behaviour. He believed that art only reflected these outward appearances, and not necessarily the reality. Further, Plato argued that because the artists do not actually…

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of existence also known as theories of forms. Plato as well as Aristotle have made wondrous advancements in the Art and logic in philosophy but they compete with recognition for the king of philosophy. There is really no way to know the truth or who is right but these two philosophers are still changing the world. Both philosophers demonstrate their works in all of philosophy but specifically for this example in metaphysics.…