Plato Flashcards
What year was Plato born?
427 B.C.E.
What was Plato’s family background?
He came from an aristocratic family.
Who were Plato’s brothers?
Glaucon and Adeimantus.
What major conflict affected Athens during Plato’s early life?
The Peloponnesian War.
Who was Socrates in relation to Plato?
An influential philosopher and teacher.
What was Socrates accused of that led to his condemnation?
Treason for corrupting the minds of young Athenian men and for impiety.
What famous quote did Socrates say at his trial?
The unexamined life is not worth living.
How did Socrates face his death?
He accepted it nobly.
In what year did Socrates die?
399 B.C.E.
What professions did Plato engage in as a young man?
He worked as a soldier and fought in three campaigns.
Where did Plato live after his military service?
Syracuse, Sicily.
Who did Plato work as a tutor for?
King Dionysius I’s son
What did Plato establish upon his return to Athens?
The Academy
What was the purpose of the Academy?
To teach young aristocratic Athenian men how to become wise leaders
What format did Plato’s books primarily use to convey his ideas?
Dialogues
Which textbook did Plato write for his students?
The Republic
What narrative techniques did Plato incorporate in his writings?
Stories, allegories and parables
What is an important story in The Republic?
The parable of the cave
From whom did Plato learn that mathematics reflects a higher reality?
Pythagorean philosophers
What form of government did many Athenians, including Socrates, desire?
A new form of democracy
What did Plato argue democracy should involve?
Many well-educated people leading and ruling wisely
Why did Plato reject oligarchy?
Because it had led to bloodshed
What did Socrates demonstrate in his argument with Protagoras?
That philosophy is about making people think about ideas and their meaning
What was the main goal of the Academy according to Plato?
To educate young Athenian men to think and philosophize about what is true
What concept did Plato use to illustrate that the physical world is not perfect?
The idea of a perfect triangle
Fill in the blank: Plato argued that we know the physical world is not perfect because we know what is _______.
perfect
Who did Plato work as a tutor for?
King Dionysius I’s son
What did Plato establish upon his return to Athens?
The Academy
What was the purpose of the Academy?
To teach young aristocratic Athenian men how to become wise leaders
What format did Plato’s books primarily use to convey his ideas?
Dialogues
Which textbook did Plato write for his students?
The Republic
What narrative techniques did Plato incorporate in his writings?
Stories, allegories and parables
What is an important story in The Republic?
The parable of the cave
From whom did Plato learn that mathematics reflects a higher reality?
Pythagorean philosophers
What form of government did many Athenians, including Socrates, desire?
A new form of democracy
What did Plato argue democracy should involve?
Many well-educated people leading and ruling wisely
Why did Plato reject oligarchy?
Because it had led to bloodshed
What did Socrates demonstrate in his argument with Protagoras?
That philosophy is about making people think about ideas and their meaning
What was the main goal of the Academy according to Plato?
To educate young Athenian men to think and philosophize about what is true
What concept did Plato use to illustrate that the physical world is not perfect?
The idea of a perfect triangle
Fill in the blank: Plato argued that we know the physical world is not perfect because we know what is _______.
perfect
