Why Plato Matters Now summary

Before we get into Plato’s philosophy, let’s learn a little about the man himself. 

Plato was born in Athens in the 5th century BCE. He came from a privileged family, but lived through turbulent times. 

Politically, things were tense in Athens – civil war, plague, and hostility between different factions. Some people supported a democratic system, while others were in favor of an oligarchy. Plato’s family had links to both factions.

Instead of going into politics, as was usual for a man of his background, Plato chose philosophy. He became an associate of the great philosopher Socrates. After Socrates was sentenced to death, Plato left Athens. He spent years travelling, studying, and teaching.

Plato himself narrowly avoided a premature death. While in Sicily, he had a fractious relationship with the tyrannical leader, Dionysius I, and then Dionysius II, who forced Plato to stay in Syracuse against his will. 

Thanks to the intervention of a friend, Plato finally managed to return to Athens, where he continued writing and teaching until his death.

Looking at Plato’s life, we can gain a better understanding of his philosophy. Firstly, we can see why he was so concerned about the dangers of tyranny, having dealt with a tyrant or two himself. And given the political turbulence that Plato lived through, it’s not surprising that he placed high value on civic harmony.

Another important influence was his relationship with his mentor. Plato was deeply influenced by the teachings of Socrates. In fact, Plato’s entire body of work might be seen as a defence of Socrates, and a critique of the society that condemned him to death.

That being said, analyzing Plato’s work and identifying his personal beliefs can be tricky. Is the character of Socrates the same as the historic Socrates? When we’re reading the dialogues, can we know for sure what Plato himself believed? 

The author Angie Hobbs – a professor who specializes in ancient Greek philosophy – suggests a nuanced approach. According to Hobbs, the Socrates who appears in Plato’s dialogues is a fictional character. Nonetheless, we can assume that the views the character expresses are close to those of the real Socrates. Plato also uses the character of Socrates to explore his own interests, such as political theory and psychology.

Hobbs believes it’s possible to identify Plato’s own beliefs in his work. However, for Plato, it was important that even his most cherished beliefs were questioned and scrutinized.

Plato shared Socrates' interest in the big question – how should we live? In simple terms, Socrates believed that a good life was a flourishing and virtuous life.

We’ll be looking at these ideas in more depth later on. But for now, the key takeaway is this – Plato was interested in building on Socrates’ work, and understanding how to live. It’s one of those eternal questions, and one of the many reasons that Plato still matters now.