Plato

Plato was a very smart and famous philosopher who lived a very long time ago in ancient Greece. He was a student of another famous philosopher named Socrates, and he wrote many books about his ideas and beliefs.

Plato believed that there was a world of ideas and knowledge that existed beyond the physical world we can see and touch.

He thought that the best way to understand this world was through reason and logic, rather than just relying on our senses.

Plato also believed in the importance of education and the pursuit of knowledge.

He thought that by learning and thinking deeply about important ideas, we could become better people and make the world a better place.

He was from a very rich family and he was alive from 427 BC to 354 BC.

Plato Facts for Kids

• Plato was a Greek philosopher.
• He was a student of Socrates.
• He wrote many books.
• He believed in a world of ideas.
• Reason and logic were important to him.
• He thought education was key.
• Plato’s ideas are still important today.

Student

Plato was a student of Socrates who was a great teacher and philosopher.

Socrates was usually the main person that Plato would write about when he wrote books.

Socrates

As Plato was growing up, he was excited about academics.

He chose to become strong in philosophy and that is where he met Socrates.

Since Socrates was a philosopher, he would try to find out if what people said was logical or if it was illogical.

Sometimes people would become angry with Socrates and so people would argue with Plato because he was his student.

Socrates would talk to his students and would teach them about politics and the facts of life.

He would have Plato and other students come up with different theories to solve problems and the teachings of Socrates would later become important in Plato’s writings.

What Important Things Did Plato Do?

Plato was a very important person from Ancient Greece.

He helped to found the first university that was called the Academy.

At this school, he had students focus on who they were and wanted people to learn about human nature.

Writings

Plato wrote many different books about ideas and sometimes he would write books that would disagree with other teachings that people wrote.

Plato also wrote books that had people talking in them and so the books were fun to read.

Sometimes Socrates was the main person in Plato’s books and some people wonder if Socrates really said the things in Plato’s books or if Plato just used him as a character to make his ideas seem important.

One of the most famous books that Plato wrote was called “The Republic.”

This book was written on what Socrates said and it included the Socratic Method which is an argument that is used it proves people wrong.

“The Republic,” was a book where characters discussed what justice was and how justice would bring happiness.

Socrates is one of the main characters again and talked about his life and how life can be unfair.

The last book that Plato wrote was called “The Laws” and it was the longest book he wrote.

Some other books that he wrote were:

• Apology
• Cratylus
• Crito
• Epigrams
• Euthyphro
• Gorgias
• Laws
• Laches
• Lysis
• Menexensus
• Meno
• Sophist
• Statesman

Dialogue Writing

Plato began to write, and he came up with a style called “the dialogue.”

This is the style that he used in many of his writings where people would “talk” back and forth to each other.

This allowed Plato to show both sides of the argument and would allow him to introduce new ideas.

One of the most important dialogues that Plato wrote was called “The Apology” and it was when Socrates was defending himself before he was sentenced to death.

Philosopher-King

One thing that Plato believed was that if someone was given kingship, they should have to be a philosopher first.

He believed that every true king would be a philosopher, or they weren’t smart enough to be king.

Career

Plato was a philosopher and he was also a mathematician.

He was very smart and is known for being a teacher and a writer.

Plato was said to make Western philosophy.

Athens

Plato grew up in Athens during Ancient Greek times.

Most people don’t know a lot about Plato because a lot was not written about his life, but it is known that he was from a rich family and he had a sister and two brothers.

Education

Since he was rich, Plato would have been taught by the best teachers in the city-state.

He was taught classes such as math, gymnastics, music, philosophy and more.

Death

Plato died when he was 80 years old, but no one really knows how or why.

Most people think that he died while he was sleeping.

Importance

Plato was very important, and his writings told a lot of things universities about philosophy and life.

His writings have been studied for more than 2000 years.

Fun Facts About Plato

• Some believe that Plato’s real name was Aristocles.
• Plato means wide.
• Plato was related to the poet and lawmaker, Solon.
• Greece offered Plato to be one of the “Thirty Tyrants,” after the Peloponnesian War, but he said no.
• Plato was influenced by Pythagoras.
• Plato traveled to places such as Egypt, North Africa, Italy, and other regions.
• Some believe that Plato served in the Athenian army.
• Plato was a boy during the Peloponnesian War.
• Aristotle was one of Plato’s students.

What Did You Learn?

Who was Plato? 

Plato was a famous philosopher that was alive during Ancient Greek times.

Who was Plato a student of?

Plato was the student of Socrates.

What was Plato known for?

Plato was known for writing books and for believing in philosophical things.

What did Plato believe about the Philosopher-King?

Plato believed that a king could only be a good king if he was a philosopher first.

What war was Plato alive during?

Plato was alive during the Peloponnesian War.