Plato a Look Into the Man and His Ideas

Tim Fox
Professor Nicholas
His. 100
2/20/10
Plato
A look into the man and his ideas
Throughout history there have been many philosophers who have revolutionized thinking but perhaps the most important one was Plato. His ideas were unheard of in the times of ancient Greece and influenced not only future philosophers but the common man as well. He has written many dialogues and books over time that has expressed his ideas, like “Phadeo” and “The Republic”. These writings on society, knowledge, morals, the cosmos, virtue, and the immortal soul opened an entirely new way to think and are still being studied by students and historians today. He also founded a philosophical school in Athens called the Academy, which taught students philosophy for centuries. Socrates was the philosopher who developed ideas on the mind and soul but Plato was the one who really got the ball rolling. Without his writings and teachings there is no telling how long it would have taken for many common ideas and sciences to develop.
Before we dive into Plato’s ideas it is a good idea to try to understand what kind of person he was what his background is like. This information can be key when discussing how he can to some of the conclusions in his writings. ‘The philosopher was born into a wealthy aristocratic Athenian family at about 427 B.C.E., during the Peloponnesian War.   Plato’s family was very involved in politics and used their wealth to give their son a very good education.’ So right away we can see why the philosopher was so interested in the politics of society and how his education shaped his writings. His interest in Philosophy grew as he studied philosophers like Sophocoles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. It is no secret that most of Plato’s ideas stem from his teacher, Socrates. His ideas of the mind and soul pave the way for some of Plato’s ideas. But in my opinion, perhaps the biggest event to shape Plato’s philosophy on society and even his bitterness toward it would be...