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Plato

Philosopher

Plato was a foundational philosopher whose ideas have shaped Western thought for over two millennia. His teachings explore truth, justice, knowledge, and the nature of the human soul, offering guidance on both personal and societal growth. The following quotes capture Plato’s enduring wisdom and his profound reflections on life, virtue, and the pursuit of understanding.
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The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
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Topic: Philosophical
In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill... we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.
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Topic: Philosophical
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
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Topic: Philosophical
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
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Topic: Inspirational
Man is a being in search of meaning.
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Topic: Inspirational
...when he looks at Beauty in the only way that Beauty can be seen - only then will it become possible for him to give birth not to images of virtue (because he's in touch with no images), but to true virtue [arete] (because he is in touch with true Beauty). The love of the gods belongs to anyone who has given to true virtue and nourished it, and if any human being could become immortal, it would be he.
From The Symposium
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Topic: Philosophical
Only a philosopher's mind grows wings, since its memory always keeps it as close as possible to those realities by being close to which the gods are divine.
From Phaedrus
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Topic: Philosophical
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
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Topic: Philosophical
For to fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For no one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to man.
From Apology
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Topic: Death
The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture. At the beginning of the journey to the next world, one's education and culture can either provide the greatest assistance, or else act as the greatest burden, to the person who has just died.
From The Republic of Plato
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Topic: Education
The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life
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Topic: Education
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
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Topic: Philosophical
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
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Topic: Philosophical
Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.
From The Republic
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Topic: Education
Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind. Therefore do not use compulsion, but let early education be a sort of amusement; you will then be better able to discover the child's natural bent.
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Topic: Education
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
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Topic: Education
Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.
From The Republic
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Topic: Philosophical
O dear Pan and all the other gods of this place, grant that I may be beautiful inside. Let all my external possessions be in friendly harmony with what is within. May I consider the wise man rich. As for gold, let me have as much as a moderate man could bear and carry with him.
From Phaedrus
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Topic: Philosophical
It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.
From The Allegory of the Cave
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Topic: Education
We've heard many people say and have often said ourselves that justice is doing one's own work and not meddling with what isn't one's own ... Then, it turns out that this doing one's own work-provided that it comes to be in a certain way-is justice.
From The Republic
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Topic: Philosophical
Love is born into eve­ry human being: it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.
...
[W]e used to be complete wholes in our original nature, and now ‘love’ is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete.
From The Symposium
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Topic: Philosophical
The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill... we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
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Topic: Philosophical
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Inspirational
Man is a being in search of meaning.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Inspirational
...when he looks at Beauty in the only way that Beauty can be seen - only then will it become possible for him to give birth not to images of virtue (because he's in touch with no images), but to true virtue [arete] (because he is in touch with true Beauty). The love of the gods belongs to anyone who has given to true virtue and nourished it, and if any human being could become immortal, it would be he.
From The Symposium
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Topic: Philosophical
Only a philosopher's mind grows wings, since its memory always keeps it as close as possible to those realities by being close to which the gods are divine.
From Phaedrus
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Topic: Philosophical
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
For to fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For no one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to man.
From Apology
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Topic: Death
The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture. At the beginning of the journey to the next world, one's education and culture can either provide the greatest assistance, or else act as the greatest burden, to the person who has just died.
From The Republic of Plato
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind. Therefore do not use compulsion, but let early education be a sort of amusement; you will then be better able to discover the child's natural bent.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
O dear Pan and all the other gods of this place, grant that I may be beautiful inside. Let all my external possessions be in friendly harmony with what is within. May I consider the wise man rich. As for gold, let me have as much as a moderate man could bear and carry with him.
From Phaedrus
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.
From The Allegory of the Cave
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
We've heard many people say and have often said ourselves that justice is doing one's own work and not meddling with what isn't one's own ... Then, it turns out that this doing one's own work-provided that it comes to be in a certain way-is justice.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Love is born into eve­ry human being: it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.
...
[W]e used to be complete wholes in our original nature, and now ‘love’ is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete.
From The Symposium
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill... we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Inspirational
Man is a being in search of meaning.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Inspirational
...when he looks at Beauty in the only way that Beauty can be seen - only then will it become possible for him to give birth not to images of virtue (because he's in touch with no images), but to true virtue [arete] (because he is in touch with true Beauty). The love of the gods belongs to anyone who has given to true virtue and nourished it, and if any human being could become immortal, it would be he.
From The Symposium
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Only a philosopher's mind grows wings, since its memory always keeps it as close as possible to those realities by being close to which the gods are divine.
From Phaedrus
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
For to fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For no one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to man.
From Apology
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Death
The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture. At the beginning of the journey to the next world, one's education and culture can either provide the greatest assistance, or else act as the greatest burden, to the person who has just died.
From The Republic of Plato
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind. Therefore do not use compulsion, but let early education be a sort of amusement; you will then be better able to discover the child's natural bent.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
O dear Pan and all the other gods of this place, grant that I may be beautiful inside. Let all my external possessions be in friendly harmony with what is within. May I consider the wise man rich. As for gold, let me have as much as a moderate man could bear and carry with him.
From Phaedrus
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.
From The Allegory of the Cave
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Education
We've heard many people say and have often said ourselves that justice is doing one's own work and not meddling with what isn't one's own ... Then, it turns out that this doing one's own work-provided that it comes to be in a certain way-is justice.
From The Republic
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
Love is born into eve­ry human being: it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.
...
[W]e used to be complete wholes in our original nature, and now ‘love’ is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete.
From The Symposium
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Topic: Philosophical
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