Plato
Plato (/ˈpleɪtoʊ/ PLAY-toe;[1] Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς; c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation) and Platon (disambiguation).
Plato
348 BC (aged c. 75–80)
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.[a]
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy.[b] Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries.[5] Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages.[6] Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy.[c] In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."[7]
Names
Plato (Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn, from Ancient Greek: πλατύς, romanized: platys, lit. 'broad') is actually a nickname. Although it is a fact that the philosopher called himself Platon in his maturity, the origin of this name remains mysterious. Platon was a fairly common name (31 instances are known from Athens alone),[8] but the name does not occur in Plato's known family line.[9]
The sources of Diogenes Laertius account for this by claiming his wrestling coach, Ariston of Argos, dubbed him "broad" on account of his chest and shoulders, or that Plato derived his name from the breadth of his eloquence, or his wide forehead.[10][11] Philodemus, in extracts from the Herculaneum papyri, corroborates the claim that Plato was named for his "broad forehead".[12]
While recalling a moral lesson about frugal living, Seneca mentions the meaning of Plato's name: "His very name was given him because of his broad chest."[13] According to Diogenes Laertius,[14] his birth name was Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς), meaning 'best reputation'.[d]
