Plato (427-327 B.C.)

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

Who was Plato? 

Plato was a Greek Philosopher, who was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. Through his writings of Socrates as a fictional character, we understand the life and beliefs of his mentor. Born into a wealthy family, Plato was expected to pursue a career in politics, but after the execution of Socrates, he left that field forever. Rather, after spending twelves years traveling to places like Italy and Egypt, Plato came back to Athens and in 387 BC, founded the Academy, which would become the first institution of higher learning. Along with philosophy, the Academy also focused on subjects like geology, physics, and math. Plato's most famous work is The Republic, which shows his philosophy on issues like politics and morals.

Character-Unlike Socrates, there were no specific events to attest to the strength of Plato's character. However, Plato did write a lot about and emphasize morality, and what makes a man of good character. Along with that, his founding of the Academy was in hopes of creating a better Greek society.

Rating: 8.5

Success-Through his opening of the Academy, Plato was able to educate students in a variety of topics he deemed important, as well as the Socratic method of thinking. Plato also lectured at the school, though none of his works were published. The Academy didn't close until 529 AD, and served as a model for future institutions and the educational system.

Rating: 8

Positive Contributions-As I said with Socrates, being a philosopher isn't something that saves lives or liberates people. However, his founding of an educational institution and his attempt at bettering Greek politics and society was something very valuable.

Rating: 6

Impact-Of course, the Academy allowed the beliefs of Plato to be more widespread than Socrates, and made him a bigger name during his time. In 367 BC, Plato was invited to Syracuse in Sicily, Italy to teach the new king, Dionysius II. This gave Plato an opportunity to achieve his goal of a philosopher king, though this attempt was unsuccessful.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 7.7 (2nd of 2)