Plato

Born in Athens around 428/427 BCE and dying around 348/347 BCE, Plato was one of the central figures of ancient Greek philosophy. Ancient sources and modern reference works consistently connect him with two other giants of classical thought: he studied with Socrates, and Aristotle later studied with him. Plato also founded the Academy in Athens, often described as the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.

Rather than writing philosophical treatises in a dry, formal style, Plato usually wrote dialogues. In works such as The Republic, Symposium, and Phaedo, ideas unfold through conversation, debate, and memorable characters, especially Socrates. Those books explore questions that still matter to readers now: What is justice? What does it mean to know something? How should a good life be lived?

His influence has been enormous for more than two thousand years. Philosophers, political thinkers, theologians, and writers have all returned to Plato’s work for its mix of argument, imagination, and storytelling. Even for listeners coming to him for the first time, his writing offers something surprisingly modern: a sense that serious thinking begins with asking better questions.