(428 B.C--347B.C)
Plato was born in 428 B.C to Ariston, a descendent from early kings of Athens, and Perictione, a distant relative of the 6th century lawmaker Solon. He was a Greek philosopher. Throughout his life, in his Academy, he educated those who would become some of the most influential mathematicians and philosophers. Plato 's many contributions to modern mathematics include the founding of the Academy of Athens, method of philosophical problem solving, and his Theory of Forms.
In 387, he founded the Academy of Athens, the first European university, which became the intellectual center of Greece for over nine hundred years. Over the main entrance to the university was the phrase, "Let No One Un-versed in Geometry Enter." Those who studied at Plato 's Academy made most of the major mathematical innovations of the 4th century. Plato was an avid philosopher and mathematician. He taught courses including arithmetic, theory of numbers, advanced geometry, and astronomy through technical lectures with abstract and philosophical leanings.
Plato 's teaching and problem-solving methods were the foundations, in his time, of forward thinking. He consciously transferred the mode of mathematical argument to that of philosophical argument and back with stunning success to further stimulate original and substantial thoughts and developments in his students. Some of the many innovators associated with the academy, including; Theaetetus, Eudoxus, and Archytas, are thought to have had a hand in the writing of Euclid 's Elements. Plato himself made many important contributions to mathematics as well.
Plato produced the theory of Forms. We use this today, in modern geometrical mathematics.
"A circle is defined as a plane figure composed of a series of points, all of which are equidistant from a fixed point. No one has actually seen it. When mathematicians define a circle, the points referred to are not spatial points; they are logical points. They do not occupy space. The mathematicians and other people know what a circle is because they can define a circle. Therefore, Plato knew the Form circularity exists. It exists as a changeless object in the world of Form ore Ideas." (Gauvea 6)
Circularity, squareness, and triangularity are near examples of what Plato meant by Form. This is the Theory of Forms that Plato created. The original Theory of Forms evolved into what we now use in modern mathematics.
This was Plato 's personal and most direct contribution to the field of mathematics. With the establishment of the Academy of Athens came a strong intellectual center for Greece. Many future scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians studied at Plato 's Academy and benefited from his unique approach to equal opportunity and philosophical learning.
Bibliography
"Plato; Mathematician or Mystic?"
http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/
Accessed March 6, 2004. Harris, William. Online.
"Plato - Mathematics and the Liberal Arts"
http://math.truman.edu/~thammond/history/Plato
Accessed March 6, 2004. No Author. Online.
"The Mathematics Of Plato 's Academy: A New Reconstruction"
http://www.maa.org/reviews/mpa
Accessed March 6, 2004. Gauvea, Fernando. Online
Bibliography: "Plato; Mathematician or Mystic?" http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/ Accessed March 6, 2004. Harris, William. Online. "Plato - Mathematics and the Liberal Arts" http://math.truman.edu/~thammond/history/Plato Accessed March 6, 2004. No Author. Online. "The Mathematics Of Plato 's Academy: A New Reconstruction" http://www.maa.org/reviews/mpa Accessed March 6, 2004. Gauvea, Fernando. Online
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Plato was a student of Socrates; he believed that only the wisest people should govern. His first book was: “The Republic” that described an idea government, not a democracy. From what Plato see the future all citizen would fall into three groups, the first one is farmers, second is artisans, warriors and the ruling class. And the smartest and the most intelligent person from the ruling class would be chosen as philosopher – king. He established a school called the academy – taught philosophy, science and mathematics. And Plato was a teacher for another philosopher Aristotle.…
- 395 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Plato and Aristotle were both titans of Greek thought during the fourth century BCE Athens, and both shared similar experience and…
- 1133 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The young man who would eventually be called Plato, by his gymnasium classmates due to his muscular build, started off as a student of the gadfly of Athens, Socrates. Plato was deeply devoted to his master Socrates, even attending the event of his death, drinking the poison hemlock After his master’s death, Plato went on to build upon his masters teaching to the point, where both philosopher’s teaching is…
- 1708 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Geometry, a cornerstone in modern civilization, also had its beginnings in Ancient Greece. Euclid, a mathematician, formed many geometric proofs and theories [Document 5]. He also came to one of the most significant discoveries of math, Pi. This number showed the ratio between the diameter and circumference of a circle.…
- 357 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The name of our mathematician is Aristotle, he was born in 384 BCE at Stagirus, a Greek colony that is now extinct near the seaport on the coast of Thrace. He was the son of Phaestis and Nichomachus, who was a court physician to the King Amyntas of Macedonia. Many people claim this is where Aristotle got influenced to become part of the Macedamian Court system, although is has not yet been proving plenty of experts agree this is where it all began. While he was around the age of 7 his father and mother died and he became under the care of Proxenus of Arteneus, this was his sisters husband.…
- 1206 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Plato wrote peices on justice that impacted Ancient Greece, something else he wrote was a peice on the philosophy of language.…
- 59 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Plato was a famous Greek philosopher and mathematician from Athens that is now well known throughout the world. He lived from 427 B.C.E. to 347 B.C.E. He’s famously known for being Socrates’ student and the teacher of Aristotle. He has many writings that explored justice, beauty, and equality as well as containing discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology, and the philosophy of language. His writings were highly influenced by Socrates as he would convey and expand on the ideas and techniques of his teacher. Plato founded the Academy which was the first institution of higher learning in the Western World and offered subjects like astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Plato…
- 925 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
One of the most influential minds in western philosophy is of Plato. Plato lived from 422-347 B.C, was born into an aristocratic family in the city of Athens. He was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. Plato followed the basic ideas of Socrates, in which no laws are to be broken despite their relevance. He makes clear why laws should be followed and why disobedience to the law is rarely justified. Plato is considered a very essential figure in the contribution of philosophy and an essential figure to western tradition. He was the prime founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning within the Western World. Plato has a range of teachings that have been used to instruct a wide spread of subjects. Some…
- 1801 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The ancient Greek mathematician Euclid influenced mathematics in a large way after developing the Pythagorean theorem. His theorem (written around 300 B.C.) stated that “If two straight lines cut one another, the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be the same” (Doc. 5). Euclid wrote this theorem to set a base rule to help find the sum of the angles of a triangle. The Pythagorean theorem is still used today in mathematics thanks to Euclid’s contribution to society.…
- 689 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Plato also believed that people needed to understand general types which he referred to as concepts, that got expressed in general statements. Furthermore, Plato placed mathematical objects closer to the level of reality, instead of material objects because they were concepts that did not change. Mathematical concepts are considered eternal, they do not change. There is no way to banish how to do math problems. Along with Plato’s beliefs about mathematical concepts, he also believed in the Theory of Forms.…
- 643 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Plato was born in 427 BC in Athens, Greece. He was born into a wealthy and aristocratic family with a political background. Plato's father claimed he was a descendent of Codrus, the last king of Athens; on his mother's side he was related to a Greek lawmaker by the name of Solon. Plato's father died when he was still young and the rest of his childhood was spent with his mother and her new husband Pyrilampes, an Athenian politician.…
- 1054 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Plato's birth date is not exactly known. It is said that he was either born between 427-430 B.C. He was the son of wealthy and influential Athenian parents .Many of his relatives were involved in Athenian politics, although Plato himself was not. When Plato was a young man, he went to listen to Socrates, and learned a lot from Socrates about how to think, and what sort of questions to think about. When Socrates was killed in 399 BC, Plato was very upset (He was 30 years old when Socrates died) . Plato began to write down some of the conversations he had heard Socrates have. Practically everything we know about Socrates comes from what Plato wrote down. After a while, though, Plato began to…
- 958 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
2. 427-347 B.C.E. Plato was a student of Socrates, and founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with Socrates and his most famous student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. (Wikipedia, n.d.)…
- 698 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Euclid also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician who flourished in Alexandria, Egypt, almost certainly during the reign of Ptolemy 1 between 323 and 283 BC. Neither the year nor the place of his birth has been established, and the circumstances of his death remain a mystery. Little is known about Euclid other than his writings, the little information known about Euclid comes from commentaries by Proclus and Pappus of Alexandria. Euclid attended the great library of Alexandria and may have studied at Plato's Academy in Greece. Euclid's life span is unknown and he was often confused with Euclid of Megara, who was a Greek Socratic philosopher who live about a century earlier.…
- 343 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The exact birth date of Plato is unknown. Based on ancient sources, most modern scholars estimate that he was born in Athens or Aegina between 429 and 423 BC. His father was Ariston. According to a disputed tradition, reported by Diogenes Laertius, Ariston traced his descent from the king of Athens, Codrus, and the king of Messenia, Melanthus. Plato's mother was Perictione, whose family boasted of a relationship with the famous Athenian lawmaker and lyric poet Solon. Perictione was sister of Charmides and niece of Critias, both prominent figures of the Thirty Tyrants, the brief oligarchic regime, which followed on the collapse of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian war (404-403 b.c.e.). Besides Plato himself, Ariston and Perictione had three other children; these were two sons, Adeimantus and Glaucon, and a daughter Potone, the mother of Speusippus (the nephew and successor of Plato as head of his philosophical Academy). According to the Republic, Adeimantus and Glaucon were older than Plato. Nevertheless, in his Memorabilia, Xenophon presents Glaucon as younger than Plato. (Taken from Wikipedia)…
- 2411 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays