Article abstract: Greek philosopher{$I[g]Greece;Plato} Plato used the dialogue structure in order to pose fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, society, and human nature—questions that are still alive today. He developed his own positive philosophy, Platonism, in answer to these questions, a philosophy that has been one of the most influential thought-systems in the Western tradition.
Early Life
Plato (PLAY-toh) was originally named Aristocles but may have acquired the nickname Plato (“broad” or “wide” in Greek) on account of his...
Source: Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476, ©2004 Salem Press, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
(The entire page is 2691 words.)
Want to read the whole thing?
Subscribe now to read the rest of this article. Plus, get access to:
- 30,000+ literature study guides
- Critical essays on more than 30,000 works of literature from Salem on Literature (exclusive to eNotes)
- An unparalleled literary criticism section. 40,000 full-length or excerpted essays.
- Content from leading academic publishers, all easily citable with our "Cite this page" button.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee READ MORE
