Plato: Complete Works (eBook)

Plato, the preeminent Greek philosopher, was born around 428/427 BCE in Athens and played a foundational role in Western philosophy. A disciple of Socrates and mentor to Aristotle, Plato's contributions to philosophy, political theory, and educational thought remain influential to this day. He founded the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world. His dialogues, wherein he employed the Socratic method of questioning to explore a wide array of subjects, have been preserved in a collection known as 'Plato: Complete Works.' In these dialogues, the main character is often Socrates, who serves as the vehicle for Plato's ideas. Through works such as 'The Republic,' 'Symposium,' and 'Phaedo,' Plato delved into topics like ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology. He is best known for his theory of Forms, positing abstract, non-physical essences that constitute the highest and most fundamental kind of reality, as opposed to the material world that he considered merely a shadow of this higher truth. Plato's allegory of the cave, found in 'The Republic,' remains a profound commentary on the human condition, perception, and knowledge. His literary style, marked by its depth and dialectical approach, together with his use of metaphor and myth, has established his enduring legacy in the annals of classical literature and thought.