Plato was a thinker, philosopher, and teacher who lived in the 4th century BC. Among other things, his most important claim to fame was that he started an academy for higher learning – possibly the first in the western world and second in the world, as University of Takshashila (Taxila) predated it by almost two centuries.
Plato was the pupil of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, and he is considered to be the founder of the western political philosophy. Plato was highly influenced by Pythagoras, and even though he wasn’t a mathematician himself, he was an excellent teacher of mathematics. (Read more about Plato at this Wikipedia page.)
Philosophers and teachers of the past – Plato
Most of the works of Plato were in the form of dialogs in which a conversation between two characters (usually from life) would present his thoughts on the subject. Among others, following are some of his important works:
- Apology
- Crito
- Symposium
- The Republic
(Read: Six Essential Works Done by Plato)
Plato discussed different philosophical concepts such metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, art, and rhetoric at length. However, I believe that his most valuable contribution to the world was his academy – the first institute of higher learning in the world.
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