Plato was born in 428 B.C. in Athens, Greece, at the close of what is known as Pericles' Golden Age. Plato was born into a socially prominent household with noble Athenian ancestry from both parents, allowing him to pursue a variety of choices. Plato's true birth name was Aristocles, while the latter was initially given as a nickname. The name "Plato" is thought to have arisen from Aristocles' wrestling instructor because of his large shoulders; "Plato" is Greek for "broad."
Plato was born during the Peloponnesian War of 432-404 B.C. He witnessed the political instability in Athens following the Athenians' eventual defeat at the hands of Sparta; Plato fought in the war effort during his childhood. Following Sparta's victory, Athens' democratic era came to an end, and an oligarchical system took its place. In the years to follow, to reestablish a democratic form of governance, the Athenians would overthrow the oligarchy.
Plato was interested in poetry, writing, the arts, and philosophy as a young man. Plato had planned to pursue a profession in theatre and playwriting until he overheard Socrates speaking in a marketplace one day. Plato was so impressed by Socrates' teachings that he became a pupil and follower of his almost immediately.
Soon after, Socrates was accused of failing to follow the Greek pantheon (deities) and youth corruption. As a result, Socrates was poisoned in 399 B.C., and Plato was reputedly one of the corrupted adolescents. Plato was devastated by his teacher's death and continued to write and speak about him throughout his life.
Following Socrates' death, Plato traveled for around 12 years throughout Southern Italy and North Africa. During his travels, he met and learned from a variety of other professors, philosophers, and mathematicians, and he refined his own theories about reality and the world. Plato returned to Athens at the age of 40 and established The Academy, an educational establishment just outside the city.
Men were given the chance to study numerous courses of interest from a diverse spectrum of lecturers at The Academy. Plato felt that education would lead to greater social development and, eventually, more effective political governance. Many believe Plato's Academy to be the first university in the Western world, if not the globe.
1)“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”
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2)“Thinking – the talking of the soul with itself.”
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3)“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.”
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4)“Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man.”
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5)“Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom.”
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6)“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”
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7)“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”
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8)“If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.”
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9)“All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one workman.”
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10)“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”
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11)“The measure of a man is what he does with power.”
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12)“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life”.
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13)“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”
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14)“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”
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15)“Ideas are the source of all things.”
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16)“Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.”
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17)“No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.”
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18)“And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.”
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19)“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”
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20)“Writing is the geometry of the soul.”
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21)“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
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