When I first heard of “Plato,” I thought it was pronounced as “plah-to” because in Filipino, “plato” is pronounced in that way. It means “plate.”
I wanted to share that because I think the most important thing Plato did was to “serve” us with information about Socrates, who never wrote anything.
Socrates was his teacher. He adopted many of his ideas but expanded them into a more structured and wide-ranging philosophical system.
You will learn about Plato and his philosophy below.
Plato Was Born Around 427 BCE
Plato came from a wealthy, noble Athenian family.
His father, Ariston, claimed descent from the early kings of Athens, while his mother, Perictione, had ties to Solon, a famous lawmaker.
Given his aristocratic background, he had access to the best education available and was exposed early on to politics and philosophy.
An aristocratic family is a wealthy, high-ranking family with power, land, and social status passed down through generations.
Initially, he had political ambitions.
But he became disenchanted when he witnessed the corruption and instability of Athenian politics, especially the execution of Socrates.
Born as “Aristocles”
Plato was just a nickname meaning “broad,” likely referring to his physical build or perhaps his broad style of thinking. His real name was Aristocles.
Socrates Taught Plato, Who Taught Aristotle
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the most popular Greek philosophers that almost everyone in the world has heard of.
To summarize their relationship: Socrates was Plato’s teacher. When Plato started the Academy, Aristotle was one of the students there.
Socrates died about 15 years before Aristotle was born, so they didn’t meet.
Influence of Socrates
After meeting Socrates, Plato pursued philosophy.
Socrates’ method of questioning everything, especially moral beliefs, influenced him to explore concepts like justice, virtue, and truth.
But he took it a step further by theorizing abstract ideals that he believed existed beyond the physical world.
Aristotle at the Academy
Plato founded the Academy. One of its students was Aristotle, who would go on to become a philosopher in his own right.
Students at the Academy learned philosophy, mathematics, science, and how to think and reason clearly.
Aristotle rejected many of his idealistic beliefs, though, and focused more on observable reality. Plato was an idealist, while Aristotle was a realist.
Plato’s Forms and the Allegory of the Cave
Plato talked about the Allegory of the Cave in The Republic to illustrate how education changes our understanding of reality.
Prisoners are chained in a dark cave, seeing only shadows on a wall. They think the shadows are real because that is all they have ever seen.
One prisoner escapes and sees the bright world outside, where real objects are. He learns the shadows were just illusions.
When he goes back to tell the others, they don’t believe him and laugh at him.
This goes to show that most people would prefer illusions over truths if those are more familiar and comfortable.
Reality Is a Flawed Reflection of an Ideal, Perfect World
Plato said that everything we perceive through our senses is just a shadow of a more perfect version existing in the world of Forms.
An example is a chair (many professors use this when discussing Plato).
All physical chairs are imperfect reflections of the perfect “Form of Chairness.” We can’t see these Forms, but we can think about them.
Society Must Be Ruled by Philosopher Kings
In The Republic, Plato argued that the ideal society should be led by “philosopher kings” or rulers who are wise, rational, and deeply educated.
Philosopher kings are wise rulers who use knowledge and reason to govern fairly and for the good of everyone.
They wouldn’t be swayed by personal gain, unlike regular politicians, because their love of truth and justice would guide their decisions.
Only those who understand the true nature of reality are fit to govern, as they can see beyond appearances to what is genuinely good for society.
The Three Parts of the Soul Must Be Harmonious to Live a Good Life
According to Plato, the soul has three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite. The three parts must be harmonious to achieve a good life.
Reason
Reason is the logical part of the soul, responsible for thinking, planning, and discerning what is best, not just for ourselves but for everyone.
It should govern the other parts because, when we are reasonable, our decisions align with our goals and moral values.
Spirit
Spirit relates to our emotions, courage, and drive for honor. It can support reason by motivating us to stand up for what is right.
But if it is left unchecked or rules over reason, it can lead to aggression or impulsivity. Emotional decisions often make things worse.
Appetite
Appetite includes our basic desires: food, pleasure, wealth. These are natural and necessary, but they need to be controlled.
Appetite is the part of the soul that desires bodily pleasures, comfort, and material things.
Once it dominates, we chase indulgence at the expense of our well-being and integrity. Hedonism is not good.
Knowing What Is Ideal Helps Us Do It Right
If you know the perfect form of something, you can better recognize the flaws and work to correct them if you can.
Think of this: You have an idea of a perfect highway. No bumps, wide enough to overtake when the car in front is slow, and with functioning traffic lights.
But the highways wherever you are may have traffic lights and are wide enough, but there are bumps because no one is willing to sand the surface.
That is not even humanly possible!
Another example is an ideal wife or husband. You have it in mind. You want a partner who is honest, faithful, generous, not clingy, with hobbies, can be a good parent, with a low body count, smart, and physically attractive.
It is not easy to find one person who has all of those traits and attributes, so you will marry someone who has at least five of those.
You see, reality is a flawed reflection of the ideal, perfect world.
But knowing “what it should look like” or “how it should be” helps us do the right things and points us in the right direction.
