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Table of Contents
Plato, born circa 427 B.C.E., was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece, the founder of the Platonist school of thought, and the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.
See the fact file below for more information on the Plato or alternatively, you can download our 19-page Plato worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
LIFE
- The son of Ariston (his father) and Perictione (his mother), Plato was born in the year after the death of the great Athenian statesman Pericles. His brothers Glaucon and Adeimantus are portrayed as interlocutors in Plato’s masterpiece the Republic, and his half brother Antiphon figures in the Parmenides.
- He is known by the nickname ‘Plato’ which, according to Diogenes Laertius (3rd century CE), was given him by his wrestling coach because of his broad shoulders (in Greek ‘Platon’ means broad).
- His family was aristocratic and well-connected politically and it seems Plato was expected to pursue a career in politics. His interests, however, tended more toward the arts and, in his youth, he wrote plays and, perhaps, poetry.
- The three great monotheistic religions of the world owe much to Platonic thought, whether directly or through the works of his student and friend Aristotle (l. 384-322 BCE).
- Aristotle’s teachings remained consistent with Plato’s vision of the importance of caring for one’s soul and maintaining a virtuous lifestyle, even though Aristotle would depart from some of the specifics of Plato’s philosophy.
WORKS
- Plato was a superb writer, and his works are part of the world’s great literature. His extant work is in the form of dialogues and epistles.
- Some of the dialogues and many of the epistles attributed to him are known to be spurious, while others are doubtful.
- Early Works
- The earliest group of dialogues, called Socratic, include chiefly the Apology, which presents the defense of Socrates; the Meno, which asks whether virtue can be taught; and the Gorgias, which concerns the absolute nature of right and wrong.
- These early dialogues present Socrates in conversations that illustrate his main ideas—the unity of virtue and knowledge and of virtue and happiness. Each dialogue treats a particular problem without necessarily resolving the issues raised.
- Philosophical Themes and Mature Works
- Plato was always concerned with the fundamental philosophical problem of working out a theory of the art of living and knowing.
- Like Socrates, Plato began convinced of the ultimately harmonious structure of the universe, but he went further than his mentor in trying to construct a comprehensive philosophical scheme. His goal was to show the rational relationship between the soul, the state, and the cosmos. This is the general theme of the great dialogues of his middle years: the Republic, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus, Timaeus, and Philebus.
- Plato’s most famous work is the Republic, which details a wise society run by a philosopher.
- In that work, he describes Socrates’ vision of an “ideal” state. The method of questioning in this dialogue, called the Socratic method, is as important as the content.
- He is also famous for his dialogues (early, middle, and late), which showcase his metaphysical theory of forms – something else he is well known for.
- Late Works
- Many of the late dialogues are devoted to technical philosophic issues. The most important of these are the Theaetetus; the Parmenides, which deals with the relation between the one and the many; and the Sophist, which discusses the nature of nonbeing.
- Plato’s longest work, the Laws, written during his middle and late periods, discusses in practical terms the nature of the state.
LEGACY
- The Academy flourished for nearly three centuries following Plato’s death, but was destroyed in the sacking of Athens by the Roman General Sulla in 86 B.C.
- Though continually read in the Byzantine Empire and in the Islamic world, Plato was overshadowed by Aristotle in the Christian west.
- It was only in the Renaissance that scholars like Petrarch led a revival of Plato’s thought, in particular his explorations of logic and geometry.
- William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, and others in the 19th-century Romantic movement found philosophical solace in Plato’s dialogues.
Plato Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Plato across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Plato worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Plato, born circa 427 B.C.E., who was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece, the founder of the Platonist school of thought, and the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Plato Facts
- Plato
- A Recall
- Plato’s Timeline
- Accomplished Works
- A Formulated Theory
- Truth or Lies
- Greek Philosophers
- Plato’s Acrostic Poem
- Teacher vs. Student
- The Quote
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Link will appear as Plato Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 10, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.