Plato in a Nutshell: A Beginner’s Guide to the Philosophy of Plato

Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC to a well established aristocratic family. His father, Ariston, could trace his lineage back to the old kings of Athens; his mother, Perictione, was a sister of Charmides and the cousin of Critas, two prominent figures in the Athenian oligarchy of 404-403 BC. Plato also had two brothers, Glaucon and Adeimantus, who are portrayed in his masterpiece, The Republic. Given this illustrious background it is almost certain that Plato, as a young man, was groomed for a life of public service. Only a few years before Plato was born, Athens entered into a drawn-out war with Sparta (the Peloponnesian War), that eventually led to the decline of Athens' power in the Mediterranean world. Although he grew up during Athens' great experiment with democracy during the Fifth Century, it was certainly evident at this time that democracy was failing, and that some other type of political system was needed. Around the age of twenty, he became a disciple of Socrates, the father of Western philosophy. Socrates, as you may recall from reading the Apology, made it his mission to examine the beliefs of his fellow Athenians in order to help them and himself attain wisdom. Socrates' tenacious style of philosophical examination earned him a number of powerful enemies. In 399 BC he was tried on the charges of impiety and corruption of the city's youth, found guilty, and eventually forced to take his own life. The influence of Socrates on Plato's philosophical career cannot be understated. Plato was so taken by the character and ideas of Socrates that he used Socrates as the central figure in all his philosophical dialogues , and made considerable use of Socrates' method during his early part of his career. Disillusioned by the manner of Socrates' death, Plato gave up all thoughts of a political career, dedicating himself instead wholly to philosophy. He left Athens and for the next twelve years traveled around the Mediterranean, studying philosophy, geometry, religion, and other sciences. During this period, Plato was also invited to Syracuse, where he became friendly with Dion, the bother-in-law of Dionysius, the tyrant of the city. He would return to this city twice again (in 367 and 361) in a futile effort to implement some of the political ideas that he had developed in his Republic (Ep. 7). Eventually Plato returned to Athens in 387 to found his …