Who was Plato

The figure of Plato is one of the most important in our culture for all he has managed to bring us. He is a philosopher of classical Greece, a disciple of Socrates, who defended the ideas of his teacher and developed them through his written works in the form of dialogue. He is considered one of the most important thinkers who made the origin of Philosophy possible and who contributed a way of life and thought known as "idealism", hence the expression of "Platonic love" . In this article of .com we will detail who was Plato.

Political and philosophical curiosity

Like most young people of his time, he was disturbed by the political ideas of a moment with as many changes as he had, but after the death of Socrates, he was disillusioned. In this way, the love of the philosophy and thought of his teacher, and the political restlessness led him to develop his own thought based on philosophical principles to create a political theory that would end the evils of his society.

Influence of Socrates

Like his teacher, Plato developed a thought based on man. He also tried to find universal keys, valid for all men, to live better. He continued the search for the universal virtue of Socrates through knowledge, a form of knowledge that would lead him to that end, and considered that everything universal must be outside the physical, in the world of universal things or ideas common to all the men.

The theory of ideas

The ideas or universal valid for all men, form a reality that escapes the physical and imperfect reality that surrounds us. Ours is a reality that dies, disappears, changes and, therefore, can not be stable and universally valid for all men. He thought that universal ideas should be perfect and that only the human soul, the only perfect in man, can get to know them. Men must be educated to develop the capacity for knowledge through the soul.

The philosophy

It is the medium, along with other disciplines such as mathematics, music or gymnastics, that man must develop so that his soul reaches the world of ideas . In this way, this man will be a virtuoso. Plato considers that philosophers are the most virtuous men and, therefore, are the ones who should govern a country, since they will know the universal tools, that which will make happiness in general to all men.

The education

For him it was very important the education that the citizens received, since this one would make that each one developed his special dowries to the maximum. This would allow to see which people would be adequate to develop each of the functions or jobs necessary for society. The education would allow to recognize those propitious to dedicate themselves to the Philosophy and to be able to govern.

• To know Socrates first to be able to understand Plato's Philosophy.
• Understand the Parmenides Philosophy to get into the theory of Platonic ideas.
• Study the socio-political situation surrounding Plato to understand his thinking.