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.
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
Man is a being in search of meaning.
...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
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
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
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
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
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
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
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
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
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
Man is a being in search of meaning.
...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
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
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
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
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
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
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
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
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
Whenever you do something holy, you're improving one of the gods?
From Euthyphro
Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.
Man is a being in search of meaning.
...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
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
let the speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
From Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus.
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
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
Then the lover, who is true and no counterfeit, must of necessity be loved by his love.
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
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
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
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
