In the allegory of the cave‚ Plato describes several men who have been chained all their lives with only a wall in front of them in which shadows are displayed and only echoes are heard. These men believe these shadows and echoes to be the totality of real things in the world without any inclination to question the veracity of their perception. Once one of them is released from the chains and comes out of the cave‚ he is welcomed into a new reality‚ one that supersedes the misapprehension of the
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Plato (/ˈpleɪtoʊ/;[1] Greek: Πλάτων‚ Plátōn‚ "broad";[2] 428/427 or 424/423 BCE[a] – 348/347 BCE) was a philosopher‚ as well as mathematician‚ in Classical Greece‚ and an influential figure in philosophy‚ central in Western philosophy. He was Socrates’ student‚ 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.[3] Alfred
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Even today‚ people admire the ideas of Socrates‚ Plato‚ and Aristotle. Their teachings are at the root of modern philosophy and science. Alfred Whitehead is quoted as saying: “The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” If you really know how to read Plato‚ the truth behind this statement is easy to see. Nearly every great philosophical idea was discussed by Plato to some extent. The best way to put it is the way
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alteration; as a foreign seed sown in an alien soil is wont to be overcome and die out into the native growth‚ so this kind does not preserve its own quality but falls away and degenerates into the alien type. - Plato‚ Republic 497 c I. Introduction In the sixth book of the Republic‚ Plato describes a philosophic soul as an exotic seed planted in strange soil. Because the soil is foreign to the seed‚ its growth is stunted‚ if not overwhelmed‚ by the forces alien to its nature. The context of
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Plato‚ student of Socrates‚ and Aristotle‚ student of Plato‚ two of the most influential philosophers to have ever walked the earth‚ take two completely different approaches whilst talking about the formation of city states and epistemology itself. Plato primarily defined the nature of things in theoretical terms through metaphysics‚ in contrast to actual terms. Thus by looking to the ’higher forms’ he aimed to explain the function of existing knowledge and understandings in the search for the ’absolute
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intricate part of our being which many great thinkers such as Plato‚ Aristotle and Augustine aim to define and unravel. One should remain attentive to the fact that these great minds come to similar yet altered conclusions of the soul; for it is an intrinsic part of our being‚ aiding in our discovery and understanding of the world. Plato addresses in his novel‚ The Phaedo‚ the notion of soul and body being separate entities. Often‚ Plato depicts the soul as the cognitive facet of a being‚ in contrast
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There were many great philosophers who have contributed in making philosophy what it is today‚ one of them being Plato. In addition to being an outstanding philosopher‚ he was also a mathematician and a writer. One of Plato’s biggest inspirations was his very own teacher Socrates. Socrates never wrote down a word of what he said‚ but thankfully Plato was able to record it all down for him and wrote many dialogues about Socrates words and teachings. One of Plato’s most famous works was his dialogue
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Euthyphro – Plato NAME PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor date Euthyphro – Plato The discussion between Socrates and Euthyphro is one of the most famous Socratic discussions because of the meaning set behind the actions. This discussion is focused on what is the piety or the holiness asked by Socrates to Euthyphro. Socrates appoints Euthyphro to help him understand what piety is as he admits he does not know‚ in order to help with his case against him. They argue
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Augustine and his Thoughts on God Saint Augustine of Hippo 2/23/2014 Gloria M. Daniel St Leo University “And men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains‚ the mighty waves of the sea‚ the broad tides of rivers‚ the compass of the ocean‚ and the circuits of the stars‚ yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.” ― Augustine of Hippo‚ Confessions Augustine of Hippo and his thoughts on God Augustine was a very important
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Ben Parrish St. Augustine vs. Machiavelli: A comparison of the Good Society Final Project 09/01/13 Both St. Augustine and Machiavelli believed that in order to understand the true nature of society you must see men for what they truly were. Augustine and Machiavelli are similar in their pessimistic views toward human nature‚ looking at human self-love and self-interest and believed it to be full of evil‚ cruelty‚ betrayal‚ violence and tied that relationship into the creation of war. For both philosophers
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