Biography of Plato

Platon, Latin for Plato, was born approximately 428 B. C. in Athens and died there in 348 B. C. He was a son of an aristocratic family. His father, Ariston, was a descendant of the early kings of Athens. His mother, Periktione , was distantly related to Solon (an Athens citizen from the 6th Century B. C.). As a young man, Plato was particularly interested in politics, but was terribly disappointed in the political administration of Athens. He became a student of Socrates and professed himself to the basis of his philosophy. After several journeys to Italy, Sicily and Egypt in 387 B. C., Plato created the academy in Athens where one could study astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory and philosophy. The most famous student of this academy was Aristoteles.

Plato’s philosophy bases on the theory of ideas: According to this, there are, apart from the visible and spiritual world, certain original patterns as the true reality. All of the visible things are imperfect, transitory portrayals of these ideas. Simultaneously, these things have their proportion of the eternal and perfect world (for example a good person is seen as an idea of the good). According to Plato’s point of view, the government of an idealistic state is orientated towards philosophy. The officials and military would be responsible for the guard of the state and the lowest class would provide for the food. Private property would be forbidden.

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