Plato
Plato
Platowas a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, especially the Western tradition. Unlike nearly all of his philosophical contemporaries, Plato's entire œuvre is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
plato real independent
Whenever a person strives, by the help of dialectic, to start in pursuit of every reality by a simple process of reason, independent of all sensuous information - never flinching, until by an act of the pure intelligence he has grasped the real nature of good - he arrives at the very end of the intellectual world.
often-is may benefits
When a Benefit is wrongly conferred, the author of the Benefit may often be said to injure.
life-and-death greek departure
I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows.
war order tyrants
A tyrant... is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.
oysters body shells
We are bound to our bodies like an oyster to its shell.
philosophy soul spirit
Geometry will draw the soul toward truth and create the spirit of philosophy.
inspiration men blessing
Neither human wisdom nor divine inspiration can confer upon man any greater blessing than this [live a life of happiness and harmony here on earth].
wise agreement numbers
Because, unlike courage and wisdom, which made our state brave and wise by being present in a particular part of it, discipline operates by being diffused throughout the whole of it. It produces a concord between its strongest and weakest and middle elements, whether you define them by the standard of good sense, or of strength, or of numbers or money or the like. And so we are quite justified in regarding discipline as this sort of natural harmony and agreement between higher and lower about which of them is to rule in state and individual.
beautiful men thinking
The cause of all the blunders committed by man arises from this excessive self-love. For the lover is blinded by the object loved; so that he passes a wrong judgment on what is just, good and beautiful, thinking that he ought always to honor what belongs to himself in preference to truth. For he who intends to be a great man ought to love neither himself nor his own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by himself, or by another.
dance art dancing
The Dance, of all the arts, is the one that most influences the soul. Dancing is divine in its nature and is the gift of God.
desire poverty wealth
Poverty doesn't come because of the decrease of wealth but because of the increase of desires.
wise honey herbs
Just as bees make honey from thyme, the strongest and driest of herbs, so do the wise profit from the most difficult of experiences.
children passion reality
Then may we not fairly plead in reply that our true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth, and is not content with common opinion, but soars with undimmed and unwearied passion till he grasps the essential nature of things with the mental faculty fitted to do so, that is, with the faculty which is akin to reality, and which approaches and unites with it, and begets intelligence and truth as children, and is only released from travail when it has thus reached knowledge and true life and satisfaction?
beautiful running effort
The most beautiful motion is that which accomplishes the greatest results with the least amount of effort.