Plato was a Greek philosopher who lived from 427 to 348 BC, spending most of his life in Athens. A student of Socrates, Plato founded the Academy in 387 BC. In a beautiful olive grove on the outskirts of Athens, intellectuals could gather to discuss philosophy, give lectures, and carry out their research. At the Academy, Plato wrote many of his philosophical works, penning 30 or 40 philosophical dialogues over the course of his life. Most of these feature Socrates as a main character.
The Republic
The Republic, written around 375 BC, is one of Plato’s longer works. It takes the form of a conversation between Socrates and others, mostly taking place in a private house and continuing late into the night. Although Plato knew Socrates, the dialogue isn’t a historical account of the events of an actual conversation. It is likely that the dialogue includes both some of Socrates’ original ideas and some of Plato’s own.
The main topic of discussion is justice: What
