Plato (427-347 BC)

i kno alot ab him! & i dont like him bcz he excluded poets from his utopia! & i don understand why Shelly & Sidney... were trying to have him in their side.

The rise of a new administration in Washington and a rapidly changing political and economic environment has put me in a philosophical bent. In times like these, it's best to look towards past political thinkers for guidance. In terms of political philosophy, it all really began with Plato. Plato's "Republic" is really his seminal work on politics. He was really interested in challenging the traditional notion that justice is for the advantage of the stronger, and by that he basically meant that the force of speech can be used to dominate and control. Obama constantly emphasizes that words have power, perhaps moreso than action. That may be debatable. Here's what Plato says..."those who are strongest use rhetoric to reduce others to their will by appealing to views they already have..." This is the problem that most politicians have today. Plato was interested in challenging people and provoking them to change themselves, which of course is the hallmark of an effective a... Read more

More a reporter than a philosopher. It is his work that describes the teachings of Socrates, of which virtually none survive.

If you are trying to get a better understaning of politics, i suggest reading Plato. Very insightful reading. Crito is excellent!

Nazism can be traced to Plato.

Just as all roads lead to Rome, all philisophical thoughts lead back to Plato. First gave us the idea of Forms which are only percievable through the power of the mind and that we are confined by our senses, hence the great notion that is the Allegory of the Cave. He really believed that the ultimate truth could be found through reason and that our senses are filters that often decieve. Kind of had the idea of the Matrix down thousands of years ago. By the way, his real name was Aristocles, Plato was his nickname. And of course he was gay, just like every other rich aristocrat in ancient Greece.

how could one deny his influence on all of us.a great mind and writter.I love the dialogues of Socrates.ita shame his world died out and a new world od ideas and power darkened the landscape of humnanaity of a thousand years.Which Plato himself played role.

I do not understand why the Catholic church ascepts this him (painted on the roof of the cistein chapel), maybe because amoung other pagans he stated his belief in God. Plato is a Hardline (strict laws) Nationalist (although many sourses I've seen claim him a socialist, he regects nearly all socialist ideas). He believes in an ecconomy run by the millitary plunder of nearby nations, in eugenics as choping the heads off week and defective babys, that no man under the age of 50 should run a country due to lack of wisdom and experience. Plato was Gay and thought that all married men should not only have a boyfriend but also a young boy who is paid for sexial service. Plato believed in reincarnation. As well as making exellent records of the comments of his teacher Socrates, Plato mentions scientific understandings and tecnologies that didn't resurface till the 1700's.

Plato is truly THE greatest philosopher in history. He himself with his writings have kept scholars bewildered and stumped for 3,000 years about his mythical Atlantis. Now, when Atlantis is just finally being discovered, scientists refer to PLatos writings to correct themselves and their job.