Plato

Plato 's case which favours philosophers creating the ideal polis, the Kallipolis, which is dependent on philosophers ruling with political power; knowledge and love of wisdom being key for this ideal polis. The case, presented in “the Republic” which is Plato’s most fascinating and most significant pieces, works in the development of philosophy. Socrates is at the center of this narration and for this reason is described as, “merely, the mouthpiece of his own opinion.” The case is subject to…

are philosophers? What do they do? To begin, philosophy is the love of wisdom or a search for what is true. Two philosophers that “represent” philosophy includes, Plato and Seneca. Thinkers like Plato and Seneca both addressed how one should live their lives, and more importantly how one should lead a good life in their texts. Plato expresses in his book, Protagoras that in order to live a good life one must focus on the knowledge of wisdom and search for virtues. Virtues are admirable…

Socrates is seen as an enigmatic figure of the ancient world. His teachings have brought much wisdom to future philosophers; his teachings directly influenced the lives of his students Plato and Xenophon, who both became great philosophers in their own right. In fact, his knowledge has defined an era, so much so that the philosophers that came before him are now known as pre-Socratic. He is commonly credited as being one of the founders of Western philosophy, greatly increasing our understanding…

The Apology written by Plato is about the defense of the philosopher Socrates in front of the folk court of Athena. Socrates' open criticisms directed to top Greek politicians had created many enemies. Thus, he was brought to court and was accused about the lack of faith in gods and the corruption of young people. The accusations raised against Socrates may seem ridiculous to us nowadays because of the different democracy we now have, but in ancient Athens they viewed them as attitudes to the…

Argumentative Strategies of Plato vs. Aristophanes In Aristophanes’ “Clouds” and Plato’s “Apology” Socrates is satirically attacked and rationally defended respectively. The two argumentative styles of Aristophanes and Plato are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Aristophanes utilizes satire and humorous exaggerations of sophist teachings to denounce Socrates. Alternatively, Plato’s “Apology” uses logic and reason in order to defend himself against the charges brought against him. Both…

Plato in the Ways of the World (An evaluation on how Plato describes different ideas shared through the teachings of Socrates on education and how an education determines what they’ll do.) The world is surrounded by questions that people want answers to. They search for something that makes sense to them. Socrates chose to teach the world and his students. He focused on education and what it truly meant to be educated. Education was thought to be what was taught in the school, but through the…

Greek philosophers called the desires of the heart: ambition, power, and money, and the desires of the liver: sex, food, and alcohol. Plato, like most Ancient Greek philosophers, however, looked down upon giving into such desires because he believed doing so allowed irrationality to lead one’s life. Instead, Plato extoled a life led by reason, stemming from the brain. Plato exhibits his view through the voice of Socrates in Phaedrus by showing how love madness, usually thought to be a lack of…

The Apology by Plato examines the accusations that Socrates faces while on trial in Athens. The philosopher is accused of not recognizing the same gods as the state, creating new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. He systematically disproves the claims while raising the idea that living an examined life enhances the overall quality of being by challenging and questioning the world around oneself. In The Apology by Plato, throughout Socrates’ examination of both his own life and of…

In the two texts that we read in class, Plato, Phaedo, and Lucretius, Nature of Things, both Socrates and Lucretius try to reassure us that we should not be afraid of death. In Plato, Phaedo, Phaedo is telling the story of Socrates’s final hours from being their first hand. In Lucretius, Nature of Things, Lucretius’s telling his view on religious issues and how he got to his view, poetic skills, and study on scientific phenomena. Both Socrates and Lucretius have different arguments on why we…

of the most prominent philosophers are Plato and Agustina of Hippo. Both played key roles in the development of their culture. Plato gave view to his ideal government and spread his idealology to all who would listen. Augustine gave a similar teaching to Plato’s. but with the exception that he added religion to the mix. Two different people born in different ages, and yet they are still highly regarded for shaping and sparking ideas that live today. Plato was born near 428 B.C. At this time,…