Plato
Item
name
Plato
Given Name
Plato
Birth Date
427 BC
Death Date
348 BC
Nationality
Greek
Job Title
Philosopher
Is Referenced By
Description
Plato ( PLAY-toe; born Aristocles; c. 427 – 348 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a top thinker in Philosophy. Plato founded the Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism. The philosopher was an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. He was a system-builder. He also raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy. Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He had decisive influence in the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them derives from Plato himself.Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." (Wikipedia)
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