Plato, An Ancient Greek Philosopher - 1458 Words

Plato, an Ancient Greek Philosopher by Carly Rittenmeyer Bible and the Ancient World Spring 2015 Plato, a Greek Philosopher, is known for his writings that impacted people in the Ancient Greek society. He was a free thinker and lived in a free city, Athens. He was taught by multiple teachers including Socrates who was frequently mentioned in his writings as the central character. Plato’s novel, The Republic, influenced the idea of government and shows his views on the world. Throughout his personal life, writings, and dialogues, Plato shows his value of knowledge and how each of his writings impacted the morals of people in the society. Plato was born in 427 BCE in Athens which is one of the†¦show more content†¦He was a close family friend and the teacher of Plato. He looked up to many philosophers as role models which reflected on his knowledge and education. Socrates taught many students and was able to pass down his knowledge on philosophy. Socrates told his students that the the unquestioned life is not worth living (Stockdale 1). He is saying that if a person does not question their life and is able to just live without questioning the society, then life is not worth living. This influenced Plato to question society and state his opinions through his writings. Socrates was mentioned in many of Plato s dialogues as the central character. Socrates was convicted of treason by the Athenians and sentenced to death. His death was based on his attitude and teachings. His death turned Plato away from democracy which then led to him on a path of philosophy. Plato s philosophy forever changed Western ethical and political thought. Through his philosophy, he was able to impact the morals of the people in the society. After the death of Socrates, Plato was able to travel for about twelve years and journeyed Italy and Sicily to study with other philosophers. When he was traveling, he learned Pythagorean mathematics and he was able to be apart of the military again. When he returned to Athens, Plato founded a school titled The Academ y in about 387. This school was