When was Plato born and what was his original name?
Plato was born around 427 BC and his original name was Aristocles. He was born into an aristocratic family in Athens that traced its lineage back to the lawgiver Solon.
Common questions about Plato
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Plato stop writing poetry and start philosophy?
Plato stopped writing poetry after meeting Socrates and experienced a profound conversion that led him to burn his own poems. This act symbolized the death of his former self and the birth of a new thinker dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
What happened to Plato during the rule of the Thirty Tyrants?
Plato declined an invitation to join the administration of the Thirty Tyrants in 404 BC because he was disillusioned by their atrocities. The political turmoil and the subsequent execution of Socrates in 399 BC destroyed his hopes for a political career.
Where did Plato study before founding the Academy?
Plato studied with Cratylus and Hermogenes in Athens before traveling to Megara and southern Italy to study with the Pythagoreans. This exposure to Pythagoreanism provided the framework for his later theories about the material world being a shadow of a higher realm.
How many times did Plato travel to Syracuse and what was the outcome?
Plato traveled to Syracuse three times between 383 BC and 361 BC to advise the tyrant Dionysius I and his son Dionysius II. The first trip ended in failure, the second resulted in his expulsion, and the third saw him held against his will until his friend Archytas intervened.
What is the Theory of Forms and how does it relate to the soul?
The Theory of Forms states that the material world is merely a shadow of a higher, unchanging reality of abstract Forms. Plato describes the soul as immortal and divided into three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite, which allows knowledge to be acquired through recollection rather than observation.