Who Is?:
Plato is one of the most influential philosophers to date and the first Western thinker whose writings we can read in substantial amounts. Author among others of "The Republic" and the "Symposium", famous for his theory of forms and his dialogic style, his reflections encompass nearly every major topic of philosophical concern. He was the founder of the Academy, a student of Socrates, and the teacher of Aristotle.
Life:
Plato was Athenian, lived for eighty years circa between 427 and 347B.C, and was born out of a wealthy and prestigious family. He was educated under Socrates; when Socrates died in 399 B.C., Plato left Athens for several years during which he lived in different regions across the Mediterranean, including Sicily. Upon his return in Athens, he opened a successful school, the Academy, which remained open until 83 A.D. Plato taught at the Academy for his entire life, but for two longer trips to Syracuse.
The Easiest and the Most Difficult Philosopher:
Plato can be considered one of the easiest and most enjoyable philosophers to read: his writings are all in dialogical form and they spark for the accessible and elegant style. At the same breath, and at a closer look, Plato's philosophical dialogues raise some of the most poignant interpretative difficulties, which can be attributed to the special moment at which they were produced and to their sketchy character.
Plato and the Origins of Written Philosophy:
Plato was philosophizing at a time when the role of written text first became predominant in western culture. Indeed, Plato is the first great thinker whose writings we received in bulk, unlike his teacher Socrates, who left no written document, and unlike predecessors such as Parmenides and Heraclitus, from whom we have only excerpts. But it shall be clear that, for Plato, the written word is not a substitute for the spoken word; it is rather intended as a way to recall to memory what one has learned through direct teachings.
The Dialogues:
Thirty-six dialogues and thirteen letters are traditionally attributed to Plato, although a number of them are nowadays considered not of Plato’s own making. Socrates is featured as the protagonist of each dialogue, orchestrating the debate. Most of the texts display what has come to be known as “Socratic method,” Plato’s distinctive method for philosophizing.
The Socratic Method:
The Socratic method proceeds by elimination. Socrates has its opponents consider and reject a list of potential answers on the basis of simple and universal principles; hence, the opponents come to agree on a specific conclusion upon reflection. Plato’s proverbial philosophical capacity is revealed in the principles and the openness of the method. It is also remarkable that – to help his interlocutors – Socrates often makes use of stories (like the story of Gyges of Lydia, or the myth of Er in the Republic) or allegories and metaphors (like the allegory of the cave or the metaphor of the sun, also in the Republic.)
Plato’s Forms:
Plato is most famous for his theory of forms, known also as universals. As with previous Hellenistic thinkers such as Parmenides, Plato believed that what appears through the senses cannot alone produce knowledge. The senses indicate contradictory conclusions – e.g., the same food can taste salty or not, depending on what is eaten before. What exists according to the senses is just a “shadow” of what there really is: the forms. Forms are known through rational reflection. This means that for Plato we gain access to reality in a two-fold way: via the senses (path to error) or via rational reflection (path to truth.)
Knowledge, Truth, Beauty, and Justice:
The only way to achieve the truth, hence, is to seek knowledge. Truth and knowledge go hand in hand. Now, Plato's position is even more radical, as for him truth always agrees with what is just and what is beautiful. What is beautiful is also true and just, and it represents the highest form of knowledge. What is just, also always agrees with truth, knowledge, and - in the deepest understanding of the term - it is beautiful. The connection between these four concepts is what I call the golden connection; it is one of the most disputed theses in philosophy, especially starting with modern thinkers such as Descartes.
