'Research Paper on Plato Essay\r'

' plagiarize Many Philosophers do a difference in society provided if Plato is perhaps recognized as the approximately famous. His literary productions ask had a big(a) effect on slew, politics, and the school of eyeshot through with(predicate) and throughout the centuries. He was a public run across and he made major contributions to society. Plato helped to lay the philosophic strandations of modern nuance through his approximations and committal to writings. One of the most philosophical opineers of westward civilization, Plato is the only author from ancient Greek clock whose writings survive intact. His collection consists of thirty-five dialogues and xiii letters, though the authorship of some is contested.\r\nPlato was born in capital of Greece, into a prosperous aristocratic family. His Father’s puddle was Ariston and his M new(prenominal)’s name was Pericti iodin. His intercourse named Glaucon was one of the best-kn declargon members of t he Athenian nobility. Plato’s name was Aristocles, his nickname Plato originates from wrestling circles, Plato means broad, and it probably refers both to his physical appearance or his wrestling style. â€Å"Plato is, by any reckoning, one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating, wide-ranging, and influential authors in the history of doctrine,” (Kraut, 2009).\r\nPlato was born during the favorable Age of Athens’s which saw the deport of classical architecture, drama, arts and politics. However, as he was ontogeny up he observed the decline of Athens as a cultural promenade. He witnessed instances of cruelty, disloyalty, and fraud and it was in clear violation of his values. It was also during this clip that Plato fell under the govern of Socrates, who engaged the people of Athens in philosophical discussions. â€Å"It was into this bright, sly, beingly melodic line that Socrates appeargond, movi ng questioningly about the streets of Athens”.\r\n(Plato 1984). In 339 Socrates was brought to ravel and charged with having false Gods and corrupting the youth. Socrates was found guilty on the charge and was sentenced to death. The execution of Socrates weighed to a great extent on Plato and he turned away from politics, he thought the behavior of the courts was unjust. He decided non to get involved in political life, kind of he decided to leave Athens with new(prenominal) friends of Socrates to travel and study. During his travels he met with all in all(a) kinds of people and examine not only philosophy but geometry, astronomy, and unearthly teachings.\r\nSocrates was extremely influential to Plato and he was the main vulcanized fiber in numerous writings, he was also influenced by Heraclitus, Parmenides, and the Pythagoreans. One of the most important goals Plato set for himself was to deduct on the memory of Socrates alive by recording and rescue about the k ind of impact that Socrates had on people. closely all of Plato’s live takes the structure of dialogues in which Socrates is usually the main character. One of the goals of a Plato’s dialogue is to engross the reader in philosophical questions related to the ideas being discussed.\r\nThe Socrates of the Platonic dialogues is modeled later on the real Socrates but it is in part an notional character used to impart Platonic themes. Plato’s dialogues are divided into three groups, the early or Socratic dialogues; the dialogues of centre of attention age; and the dialogues of old age. In the early dialogues, Socrates is the main character, but it is generally believed that Plato is expressing his own views. These are the only remaining dialogues of Socrates teachings hence; they are referred to as the Socratic dialogues. In The Apology Socrates was charge of having false gods and corrupting the youth.\r\nWhile on trial Socrates claimed that he was innocent and was not at all wise, â€Å"Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God earlier than you, and maculation I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy… Understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many another(prenominal) times. ” (Plato 1984). Middle Dialogues During Plato’s middle period he wrote the following, Meno, Republic, Euthydemus, Menexenus, Cratylus, Phaedrus, Symposium and Phaedo. The most important difference between these writings and his earlier twists is that he is establishing his own articulatio in philosophy.\r\nIn the Meno Plato introduces us to the Socratic idea that no one knowingly does wrong, â€Å"Virtue is the inclination of things honourable and the power of attaining them. ” Plato (1984). In the Phaedo we operate beaten(prenominal) with the platonic doctrine of the Forms; this is where Plato makes a claim as to the immortality of the soul . Plato’s most influential work, The Republic, is part of the middle dialogues. It is a discussion of the virtues of justice, courage and wisdom. It addresses the question of how do humans approach living a wide life. The dialogue finishes by looking at conglomerate forms of government and describing the ideal state.\r\nThe allegory of the â€Å"Myth of the cave” is also in The Republic it is an important writing because it contains the main points of his philosophy. It is intended to be a simile for education and it explains issues regarding the theory of knowledge. Plato believed one must explore the belief that a greater reality represents. It is through this belief that a person can bring greater insight into on-key reality and become enlightened. Without it we are like the prisoners of a cave who only see the shadows of objects and live in complete darkness. â€Å"And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened, see!\r\nHuman beings living in an underground den” (Plato 1927). It is only through philosophy that we can come out of the cave into the true world. â€Å"Who is best fit to rule the state †lovers of opinion or â€Å"true philosophers”? (Plato 1927) His final years at the honorary society he wrote the later dialogues which included the Parmenides, Theatetus, Sophist, Statesmas, Timaeus, Critias, Philebus, and Laws. It should be noted that Socrates has a minor reference in these writings. Plato examines his metaphysical theories through these dialogues. He discusses art, dance, music, poetry, drama, and ethics in connection to immortality and the mind.\r\nHe also dedicates himself to the philosophy of mathematics, politics and religion. Plato argued that women were qualified to make up a role in politics and philosophy. In The Republic, Socrates argued that women were as capable as men in pursuit of accomplishments. There is a suggestion that women should be e ducated for their roles in the class of guardians and possibly work next to men. A woman’s role could be significant in society, but unlike from a man’s role. Even though Plato believed that women were necessary in a working society, he did not mean he thought women were equals of men.\r\nPlato thought that women lacked the strength of men and that women were more suited for other responsibilities in life. â€Å"If women are expected to do the kindred work as men, we must teach them the aforesaid(prenominal) things. ” (Plato 1927) The impact of Plato’s work cannot be careful or calculated. His writings had great influence on the entire intellectual development of Western civilization. patronage the fact that Plato did not leave a well-formed, pixilated philosophical system he is considered the father for all forms of philosophical idealism and dualism.\r\nâ€Å"The object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful. ” (Plato 1984). A fter he died the Academy continued until AD 529, when it was closed due to its goy teachings. Neo-Platonism, founded by the 3rd-century philosopher Plotinus, was an important development of Platonism. It was a philosophical system which was as a combination of Platonic, Pythagorean, and wayfaring elements. Originally it was opposed to Christianity but later on it integrated it. It dominated European thought until the thirteenth century and re-emerged during the Renaissance.\r\nThe most important Renaissance Neo-Platonist was â€Å"Marsilio Ficino” who true significant ideas from Plato and Neo-Platonism. Ficino founded of the Academy in Firenze and was responsible for the circulation of Neo-Platonic ideas. Ficino is assign with translating all of Platos’ dialogues into Latin and produced a great work called Platonic Theology, in which he outlines Neo-Platonism. His philosophy is found on the doctrine that the human soul is the center of the cosmos. It is the only t hing that sits between the world of ideas and the world is the soul.\r\nNeo-Platonism was revived in the 17th century by the Cambridge Platonists such as Cudworth and Smith. The school stressed the importance of antecedent, maintaining that faith and reason are not that dissimilar. Rene Descartes an eighteenth century philosopher and Neo-Platonist developed a method to strain truths. If something is not recognized by the intellect or reason can be classified as knowledge. According to Descartes. These truths are gained â€Å"without any sensory get wind” (Descartes). He argued that as a result of his method, reason alone determined knowledge and that this could be make independently of the senses.\r\nâ€Å"Cogito ergo sum, I think so I exist” (Descartes) Plato developed an absolutist honourable theory which is that there is a greater entire toward which to aspire. He developed this theory to respond to the unbelief and the beliefs of the Sophists who Plato fe lt did not preach wisdom, but rather their opinions. Plato tried to protect the part of reasoning in human life though he had resistance from the ancient Greek preachers know as the Sophists. They came from different cities and proclaimed that they were able to impart knowledge to upstart men how to live prosperous lives.\r\nEven though the Sophists did not belong to a school and did not have a common creed, some opinions were true of them as a group and were absolutely unlike to the views of Plato. The Sophists were great communicators and skilled public speakers. Plato felt that the Sophists were more likely to appeal to emotions rather than to reason. According to Plato philosophers influence people’s souls not their bodies and Plato agreed with Socrates in thinking that the nurturing of the soul is more vital than the nurturing of the body.\r\nFurthermore, he also believed that true leaders need to have wisdom, and knowledge. Plato’s influence has been monument al as one philosopher said the history of philosophy is simply â€Å"a series of footnotes to Plato. ” (Whitehead) Plato’s has been criticized down through the centuries for his philosophy of the forms. His ideas of the just life and an ideal state are complex. Plato tended to specifically ignores much of human nature. Plato did not think in the realm of the physical world, he was ever looking to a different one where things exist only if he can prove there existence.\r\nReferences Kraut, R. (2009, Sept) Plato Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/plato; Plato. (1984) Great dialogues of Plato New York: Mentor Books trans. by Benjamin Jowett Blackburn, S. (1945) The republic of Plato. (45 ed. ). London: Oxford University Press, USA. trans. By Desmond leeward Descartes. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/descartes-works; Alfred North Whitehead. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/whitehead/\r\n'