Plato (428/427 - 348/347 BCE)

Plato was a Greek philosopher as well as a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. He is the founder of the Academy of Athens, which is one of the earliest higher education academies in the Western world. His works apply to a variety of topics including politics, metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology. Many of these are presented in the form of dialogues. Plato proposed that beyond the human existence world, exists a higher realm of eternal forms or ideas. He gave the idea that these forms are true reality, and that the material world is just a shadow of this perfect realm. To elaborate, there is deeper meaning behind physical objects. For example, if you see a bouquet of flowers, one will most likely lean towards labeling it as beautiful, when it participates in the form of beauty. One of Plato’s most known theories is the Theory of the Tripartite Soul. He describes the soul as having three parts: the rational, spirited, and the appetitive. The rational part where one would seek wisdom and truth, the spirited seeking honor and bravery, and the appetitive part seeking pleasures and material goods. Society remains in harmony upon these parts. Platonic Love is where Plato explores different dimensions of love, concluding the idea of love. The idea of love to him is thought out to be a deep nonphysical addiction that transcends the idea of beauty into someone's emotions. Plato’s influence on Western thought is intense. His thoughts on the idea of reality and the importance of reason continue to influence central topics of philosophy. Humans tend to believe that the life we live is all there is, or they simply do not reflect on the thought. They may want to, and their minds are simply unable, or it is a religion or tradition influencing them. Do you believe there is more to this Earthly life?