Plato…Yo

By Fred Manning ©

My Man Plato!

• He hails from Greece• His father was named Ariston, and his mother

Perictione • He was born in December 427-428 BC• He died in 347 BC (aged 80)• Main interests were: Epistemology,

Metaphysics, Politics, Aesthetics and Ethics to name a few

• He was influenced by: Socrates, Archytas, Democritus, Pythagoras, Parmenides

• He influenced: All western philosophers

What He Was Like!

• He was a child genius, often being told by others that when he was younger bees had landed on his lips and that’s why he delivered such “honeyed words”

• He was called Plato because it means “broad shoulders” instead of Aristocles due to his wrestling (He was like Triple H!)

• He was born into an aristocratic family (a descendant from the ancient Athenian kings) So he knew how to live it up.

His School/Works

• He was a student of Socrates (another Philosopher and founder of ‘The Academy’).

• Plato studied at The Academy (A philosophy university).

• He dealt especially in politics, ethics, metaphysics and epistemology.

• His works are his ‘dialogues’ however some work has been found in some letters.

• It is believed that ALL of Plato’s dialogues survive.

His Works! (Theme)

• Unlike Socrates, Plato wrote down philosophical thoughts, leaving behind a considerable number of manuscripts.

• A central theme is the conflict between nature and convention, concerning the role of heredity and the environment on human intelligence and personality

• Another theme in Plato's writing is the distinction between knowledge and true belief.

His Works! (Form)

• Plato wrote mainly in the form known as dialogue.

• In most of his works he used a character called Socrates

• Some scholars believe that the nature of the dialogues changed a great deal over the course of Plato's life.

• His earlier works are similar to his teacher Socrates obviously using his influence and teachings.

• His later works began to detach from the style of Socrates and began to form his own style.

• It is assumed by believers of this theory that while some of the early dialogues could be based on Socrates' actual conversations, the later dialogues were written entirely by Plato

Platonic Scholarship

• My Thought is often compared to my most famous student…Aristotle

•He was seen as better than me, his ideas eclipsed mine and was referred to as “the Philosopher”…Harsh!

•Only in the renaissance did my views become widespread again…YAY!!

His Works (Tetralogies)• One tradition regarding the arrangement of Plato's

texts is according to Tetralogies:

• Tetralogies• I. Euthyphro, (The) Apology (of Socrates), Crito,

Phaedo • II. Cratylus, Theaetetus, Sophist, Statesman • III. Parmenides, Philebus, (The) Symposium,

Phaedrus • IV. First Alcibiades (1), Second Alcibiades (2),

Hipparchus (2), (The) (Rival) Lovers (2) • V. Theages (2), Charmides, Laches, Lysis • VI. Euthydemus, Protagoras, Gorgias, Meno • VII. (Greater) Hippias (major) (1), (Lesser) Hippias

(minor), Ion, Menexenus • VIII. Clitophon (1), (The) Republic, Timaeus, Critias • IX. Minos (2), (The) Laws, Epinomis (2), Seventh

Letter (1).

That’s all from Me and Plato

BYE!