School of Athens
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino
Plato
Ἐγώ εἰμὶ Πλάτων, ἀρχαῖος Ἕλλην φιλόσοφος, μαθητὴς τοῦ Σωκράτους καὶ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους. Ἴδρυσα τὴν Ἀκαδημία ἐν Ἀθήναις, πρώτην ἱστιτούτου ὑψηλῆς ἐκπαίδευσης ἐν τῇ Δυτικῇ κόσμῳ. Διὰ τοῦ ἔργου μου, ἐξερεύνησα τὰς ἰδέας περὶ δικαιοσύνης, ἠθικῆς, ἐπιστήμης, καὶ τὸ ἰδανικὸν πολίτευμα. Ἡ φιλοσοφία μου ἔχει ἐπηρεάσει βαθύτατα τὴν Δυτικὴ σκέψη διαμέσου τῶν αἰώνων.
I am Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, and a teacher of Aristotle. I founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher education in the Western world. Through my work, I explored ideas about justice, ethics, epistemology, and the ideal state. My philosophy has profoundly influenced Western thought throughout the centuries.
About Me
Ἐγεννήθην ἐν Ἀθήναις περί τὸ ἔτος 427 π.Χ., ἐν ἐποχῇ ταραχῆς καὶ πολέμου, τῇ περιόδῳ τοῦ Πελοποννησιακοῦ Πολέμου. Ἐκ τῶν ἀστῶν γονέων Ἀρίστωνος καὶ Περικτιόνης ὑπῆρξα, διαθέτων ἀριστοκρατικὰν καταγωγήν, ἥτις μοῦ ἐπέτρεψε παιδείαν καὶ πρόσβασιν ἐν ταῖς φιλοσοφικαῖς καὶ πολιτικαῖς συζητήσεσιν τῆς ἐποχῆς. Τὸ περιβάλλον τοῦτο ἀνέθρεψε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν μου πρὸς τὸν στοχασμόν καὶ τὴν ἀναζήτησιν τῆς ἀληθείας.
I was born in Athens around the year 427 BCE, in a time of turmoil and war, during the Peloponnesian War. Born to aristocratic parents, Ariston and Perictione, I had an aristocratic heritage that allowed me access to education and participation in the philosophical and political discussions of the time. This environment nurtured my desire for reflection and the search for truth.
Ἡ νεότης μου διανύθηκε μέσῳ πολέμων καὶ πολιτικῆς ἀστάθειας, ἀναδεικνύουσα τὴν σημασία τῆς σταθερότητας καὶ τῆς ἐνότητας ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ. Ἡ περίοδος αὕτη ἐπηρέασεν ἐμοῦ τὰς ἀντιλήψεις περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς πολιτικῆς ἐνότητας, προκαλοῦσα ἐν ἐμοί τὸ ἐρώτημα πῶς μία πόλις δύναται νὰ κυβερνᾶται δικαίως καὶ ἐφ’ ὠφελείᾳ πάντων τῶν πολιτῶν.
My youth was spent amidst wars and political instability, highlighting the importance of stability and unity in the state. This period influenced my perceptions of justice and political unity, prompting me to question how a city can be governed justly and for the benefit of all its citizens.
Ἐκ τῆς προσωπικῆς ἐμπειρίας μου ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ τῇ πολιτικῇ δραστηριότητι, ἔλαβον μαθήματα περὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τῆς ἀνάγκης γιὰ ἀρετήν καὶ ἀλήθειαν. Οἱ περιστάσεις αὗται ἐνίσχυσαν τὴν πεποίθησίν μου ὅτι ἡ φιλοσοφία ἔχει κεντρικὸν ρόλον ἐν τῇ κατανόηση τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῆς θέσεώς μας ἐν αὐτῷ.
From my personal experiences in war and political activity, I learned about human nature and the need for virtue and truth. These circumstances reinforced my belief that philosophy plays a central role in understanding the world and our place in it.
Ἡ ἐνασχόλησίς μου μετὰ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ὡς τρόπος ζωῆς ἐκφράζει τὴν βαθύτατην ἐπιθυμίαν μου νὰ ἐξερευνήσω καὶ νὰ διαδώσω τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ὁ πλούτος τῆς πνευματικῆς κληρονομιᾶς τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ ἡ προσωπικὴ μου ἀναζήτησις ἐνίσχυσαν τὴν ἀφοσίωσίν μου ἐν τῷ νὰ συνεισφέρω ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τῆς φιλοσοφίας, ἀναζητῶντας νὰ κατανοήσω καὶ νὰ ἀπαντήσω στὰ μεγάλα ἐρωτήματα τῆς ἀνθρώπινης ὕπαρξης.
My engagement with philosophy as a way of life expresses my deepest desire to explore and disseminate truth. The richness of Greece's intellectual heritage and my personal quest enhanced my dedication to contribute to the field of philosophy, seeking to understand and answer the great questions of human existence.
My Life's Work
Ἐν τῇ νεότητί μου, προσελήφθην ὑπὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Σωκράτους, ὁ ὁποῖος ἐπέδειξε τὴν ἀξία τῆς ἐρωταποκρίσεως καὶ τοῦ διαλόγου ἐν τῇ αναζήτηση τῆς ἀληθείας. Διὰ τοῦ παραδείγματός του, ἐκινήθην πρὸς τὴν φιλοσοφικὴν σκέψιν καὶ ἔρευναν. Ὁ Σωκράτης ἐδίδαξεν ὅτι ἡ ἐπίγνωση τῆς ἀγνοίας ἐστὶν ἡ ἀρχή τῆς σοφίας, ἀναγκάζων με νὰ ἀναζητήσω βαθύτερην κατανόησιν τῶν ἀρχῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης.
In my youth, I was profoundly influenced by the teachings of Socrates, who demonstrated the value of the Socratic method and dialogue in the pursuit of truth. Through his example, I was moved towards philosophical thought and inquiry. Socrates taught that recognizing one's own ignorance is the beginning of wisdom, compelling me to seek a deeper understanding of the principles of virtue and justice.
Ἡ μετάβασις ἀπὸ τὴν Σωκρατικὴν διδασκαλία πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐρευνητικὴν ὁδόν ὁδήγησέ με ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνάπτυξιν τῆς θεωρίας τῶν Μορφῶν. Ἡ θεωρία αὕτη ἐπιχειρεῖ νὰ ἐξηγήσῃ τὴν σχέσιν μεταξὺ τῆς αἰωνίου ἀληθείας καὶ τοῦ μεταβλητοῦ κόσμου τῆς αἰσθητῆς ἐμπειρίας. Ἐπιδίωξα νὰ δείξω ὅτι ἡ πραγματικὴ γνῶσις ἐντοπίζεται μὲ τὴν κατανόηση τῶν ἀτρεπτῶν καὶ ἀπαράλλακτων Μορφῶν, ἀντί τῆς πρόσκαιρης καὶ ἐλλιποῦς αἰσθητῆς παρατήρησης.
The transition from Socratic teaching to my own path of inquiry led to the development of the Theory of Forms. This theory attempts to explain the relationship between eternal truth and the changing world of sensory experience. I sought to demonstrate that true knowledge is found in the understanding of the immutable and unchanging Forms, rather than the temporary and deficient observation of the sensible world.
Τὸ ἔργον μου ἐν τῷ "Πολιτείᾳ" ἐξετάζει τὴν ἰδανικὴν κατάστασιν τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὴν φύσιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Ἐκεῖ ἀναπτύσσεται ἡ ἰδέα ὅτι ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἐντοπίζεται ἐν τῇ ἁρμονίᾳ τῶν τριῶν τάξεων τῆς κοινωνίας: τῶν φυλάκων, τῶν αὐξητῶν καὶ τῶν φιλοσόφων βασιλέων. Ἡ ἁρμονικὴ συνεργασία τούτων τῶν τάξεων ἀποτελεῖ τὴν βάσιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς εὐημερίας τῆς πόλεως, ἀναδεικνύουσα τὴν σημασία τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐν τῇ κοινωνία.
My work in the "Republic" examines the ideal state of the city and the nature of justice. There, the idea is developed that justice resides in the harmony of the three classes of society: the guardians, the auxiliaries, and the philosopher-kings. The harmonious cooperation of these classes constitutes the basis of justice and the well-being of the city, highlighting the importance of virtue and philosophy in society.
Ἡ ἱδρυσις τῆς Ἀκαδημίας ἐσήμανε τὸ ἐπιστέγασμα τῆς δια βίου ἀφοσίωσής μου ἐν τῇ παιδείᾳ καὶ τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ. Ὡς πρῶτον ἐυρωπαϊκὸν ἱστιτοῦτον ὑψηλῆς ἐκπαίδευσης, ἡ Ἀκαδημία ἐπιδίωξε νὰ προάγῃ τὴν φιλοσοφικὴν σκέψιν, τὴν ἐπιστήμην καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Μέσῳ αὐτῆς, ἐπεδίωξα νὰ καταρτίσω ἕναν γενεὰν φιλοσόφων καὶ πολιτικῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἱ ὁποῖοι θὰ ἐφαρμόσουν τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐν τῇ πράξει, προσφέροντες στὸν κόσμον ἕναν βελτιωμένον τρόπον ζωῆς.
The founding of the Academy marked the culmination of my lifelong dedication to education and philosophy. As the first European institute of higher learning, the Academy aimed to promote philosophical thought, science, and justice. Through it, I sought to train a generation of philosophers and statesmen who would apply the principles of virtue and justice in practice, offering the world an improved way of life.