WORDS FROM A GREAT MIND

Plato

Greek philosopher

Born: c. 428–427 BCE
Died: c. 348–347 BCE
Lived in: Athens, southern Italy & Sicily

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, and the teacher of Aristotle. Through dialogues on justice, knowledge, love, politics, and the examined life, he helped establish many of the central questions of Western philosophy and founded the Academy in Athens.

A LESSER-KNOWN DETAIL

A later ancient tradition claims that a disastrous visit to Sicily ended with Plato being sold into slavery and then ransomed by friends. Historians treat the story cautiously, but it captures how risky his political adventures became.

Words by Plato

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

Plato ↗

“Wonder is the feeling of the philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.”

Plato ↗

“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”

Plato ↗