We all know that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were known in ancient Greece as the "Three Sages of Greece", and they were the second generation of teacher-student relations. Socrates was Plato's teacher, Plato was Aristotle's teacher, and Aristotle's most famous student was Alexander the Great!
Plato, as a disciple of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, to some extent he played an important role in the "Three Sages of Greece".
Plato statue
When we trace the origins of Western philosophy, Plato is destined to be a key figure that cannot be bypassed, he is one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition, and the most insightful and influential master in the history of philosophy. In fact, throughout Plato's life, he is not only related to philosophy, but also related to love!
Plato was born in Athens in 427 BC, and at a young age he showed a talent that was different from ordinary people, at the age of four he could already read the ancient Greek comedy writer Aristophanes's work "Clouds", and at the age of seven he entered the School of Dionysus, systematically learning to read, read, and listen to poems such as Homer's Epic.
At the age of 20, Plato officially became a disciple of Socrates. Socrates had a great influence on Plato, and during his studies with Socrates, Plato learned not only the philosophical ideas of his teacher, but also a lot of philosophy of life from his teacher.
Once, young Plato asked Socrates what love was!
Socrates said, "Please cross the wheat field and pick the largest and most ripe ear of wheat and come back!" But there is a rule, that is, you can't go back, you can only pick it once! ”
Plato did as his teacher said, only to return empty-handed.
When Socrates asked him why his hands were empty, Plato replied:
"I walked in the wheat field and saw a lot of particularly full ears of wheat, but my mind always thought that there might be more plump and better ears of wheat in front of me, so I didn't pick them, so I went on!"
As I walked forward, I felt that the ears of wheat I saw in front of me were not as full and beautiful as the ears of wheat I saw before, so I finally returned empty-handed! ”
After listening, Socrates smiled and replied: This is love!
Not long after, the young Plato asked Socrates what marriage was!
Socrates is almost the same as last time: "You go for a walk in the woods and find the biggest and thickest tree to come back, provided you can only go forward and you can't turn back!" ”
This time Plato did not return empty-handed, but he only found an ordinary tree.
Socrates then asked Plato why he had returned from only an ordinary tree.
Plato and Aristotle paintings
Plato said: "Along the way, I came across many very big and beautiful trees, but I was afraid that there would be no better trees if I continued to walk, so I found a normal tree and came back." ”
Sogra smiled almost the same as the last time and said to Plato: Actually, this is marriage!
Regarding love, after Plato was inspired by Socrates, he formed his own unique concept of love, which is now often called Platonic love. In fact, this great sage's view of love is much more open than that of ordinary people.
According to his theory in "Drinking", platonic love mainly refers to the love between adult men and beautiful teenagers, which is closely related to the social atmosphere in Greece at that time. Greek scholars believed that love between the same sex is true love, and that the marriage system of the opposite sex is only for the construction of society. In today's eyes, Plato's concept of love is actually homosexual, which is really incredible! The spiritual love advocated by Plato actually refers to a kind of love between the same sex, which really subverts our imagination!
Ancient Greek statue of a beautiful man
But Plato firmly believed that true love is a persistent emotion, that only time is the touchstone of love, and that only otherworldly love can stand the test of time.
In fact, in ancient Greece, people were not exclusive of homosexuality at that time, and in the aristocratic class of ancient Greece, homosexuality was very prevalent. In the high-status people at that time, almost everyone would have some handsome men to accompany them, and the more handsome these men looked, the more they represented the person's noble social status and the more respected they would be.
The ancient Greeks believed that same-sex love can inspire friendship and courage between the two, especially on the battlefield, and the more the same-sex likes can be in the ancient Greeks' ideas, it is a very happy thing.
Although Plato prides himself on being an expert in love, the question of whether he was married is still a mystery, in fact, there are almost no records of Plato's marriage in the historical data.
His teacher Socrates advocated atheism and freedom of speech, which at the time were opposed to the interests of the ruling class. As a disciple of Socrates, Plato's every move was deeply influenced by his teacher.
In 399 BC, the Athenian court sentenced Socrates to suicide by poisoning himself on charges of disrespect and corruption of youth. Socrates' relatives, friends, and disciples advised him to flee abroad for refuge, but he refused.
Socrates saw death as if he were returning home, and finally drank the poison calmly in front of his relatives and disciples.
Socrates oil paintings
The sudden death of the teacher made Plato extremely sad and completely disappointed in the Athenian system of government. To this end, he chose to go away and started a 12-year long foreign study tour.
Plato trekked through Italy, Sicily, Egypt, Cyrene and other places, and on his day-to-day trek, he saw the political, legal, mathematical, religious and other systems of various places, and became acquainted with and learned about the Pythagorean school that influenced him for the rest of his life*.
Plato oil painting
Over time, a set of theoretical systems and social claims exclusive to Plato took shape in the growing calluses of his paws, laying a solid foundation for the birth of a series of his later classics.
In 387 BC, at the age of 40, Plato returned to his homeland of Athens, where he had been away for more than ten years, and established the world-famous Plato Academy, officially beginning his personal teaching career.
In that corner of the country, Plato pushed his career to the peak of his life. Like his teacher Socrates, he attracted elites and scholars from all over the world to visit and study with his profound knowledge and mature ideas. Practice has proved that his college is unprecedentedly grand and full of doors!
There morality and politics, freedom and love, education and philosophy, all of which are the scope of their research and the content of their teachings. The open and rigorous style of study has nourished countless truths and doctrines, and how many great scientists have spoken loudly and created classics in the land of the Academy of Athens!
It was there that Plato's most famous disciple, Aristotle, had accumulated a solid body of knowledge. Plato himself also wrote classic works such as Protagoras, Meno, and Euthydemus in that temple of scholarship.
In the second half of his life, Plato has been devoting himself to writing his own system of thought, and the magnificent Republic is the peak of his later period, which is the supreme pure land of his life, magnificent and amazing, full of vitality and unique.
Many of the important ideas in his philosophical thought are bricks and tiles of this "kingdom", the Republic, where many knowledge systems such as political science, philosophy, pedagogy and ethics are gathered. Complete and meticulous reflection of Plato's diligent pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty and the spirit of immortal speculation.
In that utopian kingdom, Plato divided the citizens into three classes: rulers, warriors, and laborers, representing the three qualities of wisdom, bravery, and desire. Each of the three castes performs its own duties, each in its place, and the one at the top governs the country well, and the one at the bottom does not commit a rebellion, and justice is achieved.
Just as the high degree of harmony embodied in a perfect piece of music is in fact two of the most famous ideas in Plato's philosophical thought.
First of all, he put forward the idea of "idea theory", and secondly, he advocated "learning in games". Literally, it means to put education in fun, advocate not forcing children to learn, and use the method of playing to educate and guide children.
Plato's educational ideas, even for our education today, are of great enlightening significance.
Thousands of years ago, Plato landed on the land of ancient Greece like a burning falling meteor, and he used his thoughts and words to empower the confused people in an instant. He painted an amazing history of philosophy with the brushstroke of cun, he let countless scientific buds break ground, and let countless educational hopes bloom.
*Note: The Pythagorean school was founded by the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, also known as the "Southern Italian School". This school was founded at the end of the 6th century BC after Pythagoras returned to his homeland due to the influence of local customs, religion and mathematical ideas during his travels in Babylon, Egypt and India. Its main basic idea is that number is the origin of all things. This school of thought, which generally adopted dialectics, was a school of thought that had a very far-reaching influence at that time and in later generations.
Reference: Plato's Seventh Letter.
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