The Influence Of Ancient Greece On Western Views

The philosophers of Ancient Greece have had a great influence on Western views, one of the most notable being Plato. In the middle of the fourth century Plato explored the ideas of equality, justice, and aesthetics. A student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, Plato founded the Academy, one of the first establishments of higher learning in the Western world, in Athens, Greece to pass on the Socratic style of thinking. Plato was born in Athens, Greece circa 428 B.C.E. and came from an aristocratic family. It is presumed that because of his social class, he was taught by Athens’ finest teachers. When Plato was a young man he met Socrates, who astonished Plato with his writings and debate. As a result of this, Plato became a student of Socrates and dedicated his life to philosophy. However, between 409 and 404 B.C.E. Plato served in the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. The Spartans had defeated Athens and replaced their democracy with an oligarchy. Eventually the oligarchy was overthrown and democracy was restored, leading Plato to consider politics as a career. Instead, he returned to philosophy and his studies when Socrates was executed in 399 B.C.E. During the 12 years after Socrates’ death Plato studied mathematics in Italy and geometry, astronomy, geology, and religion in Egypt. Plato began writing

while he traveled the Mediterranean. Writings of this period include Apology, Protagoras, Euthyphro, Ion, Crito, and Lysis. These were significantly influenced by Socrates’ philosophy. In Plato’s middle period he expressed his own views on ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. The Symposium and Republic are considered the two most prominent dialogues from this period. The late period of Plato’s writings deeply explored the arts, ethics, and morality and are deemed the most challenging of his works. The Laws, Sophist, and Philebus are a well known dialogues from this