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Famous Plato Quotes

“Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils - no, nor the human race, as I believe - and then only will this our State have a possibility of life and behold the light of day.”

WorldBelieveHumansStatesPhilosophyLightPoliticalSpiritEvilI BelieveRaceCitiesPossibilityThis WorldGreatnessKingsPhilosopherPursueHuman RaceRepublicPlatoCompelledExclusionCommonersKings And Princes
Book:The Republic
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“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity - I mean the true simplicity of a rightly and nobly ordered mind and character, not that other simplicity which is only a euphemism for folly.”

MindMeanCharacterGraceStyleDependsHarmonySimplicityRhythmFollyPlatoEuphemism
Book:The Republic: A Socratic Dialogue Concerning the Definition of Justice and the Order and Character of the Just City-State and the Just Man (Beloved Books Edition)
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“And all knowledge, when separated from justice and virtue, is seen to be cunning and not wisdom; wherefore make this your first and last and constant and all-absorbing aim, to exceed, if possible, not only us but all your ancestors in virtue; and know that to excel you in virtue only brings us shame, but that to be excelled by you is a source of happiness to us.”

IfsKnowsFirstsLastsJusticeVirtueSourceShameAimConstantAncestorPlatoCunningExceedAbsorbingFirsts And LastsSource Of Happiness
Book:The Complete Plato
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“And we must beg Homer and the other poets not to be angry if we strike out these and similar passages, not because they are unpoetical, or unattractive to the popular ear, but because the greater the poetical charm in them, the less are they meet for the ears of boys and men who are meant to be free, and who should fear slavery more than death.”

IfsMenShouldBoysGreaterPoetEarsSlaveryAngryStrikesCharmMeant To BePassagesPlatoUnattractive
Book:The Republic
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“And we shall most likely be defeated, and you will most likely be victors in the contest, if you learn so to order your lives as not to abuse or waste the reputation of your ancestors, knowing that to a man who has any self-respect, nothing is more dishonourable than to be honoured, not for his own sake, but on account of the reputation of his ancestors.”

IfsMenSelfOrderKnowingWasteAbuseAccountsSakeReputationSelf RespectAncestorDefeatedPlatoContests
Book:The Complete Plato
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“For neither does wealth bring honour to the owner, if he be a coward; of such a one the wealth belongs to another, and not to himself. Nor does beauty and strength of body, when dwelling in a base and cowardly man, appear comely, but the reverse of comely, making the possessor more conspicuous, and manifesting forth his cowardice.”

IfsMenDoeBodyWealthOwnersCowardHonourManifestCowardiceReversePlatoDwellingCowardly
Book:The Complete Plato
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“All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince.”

MenMadeEarthPoorPovertyEqualDearDeceivingPlatoPeasantsDear GodWorkmenEquality Of ManDeceived Us
Book:Wit and Wisdom of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle: Being a Treasury of Thousands of Glorious, Inspiring and Imperishable Thoughts, Views and Observations of the Three Great Greek Philosophers, Classified Under about Four Hundred Subjects for Comparative Study
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“And when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment.”

MayMomentsLostHalfYouthLoversSightIntimacyPairsMatesSoulmateOther HalfSoul MateAmazementLove And FriendshipYour SoulmateMy SoulmateYour My SoulmateSoulmates And LoveSoulmates Best FriendsSymposium
Book:The Complete Works of Plato (Unabridged): From the greatest Greek philosopher, known for The Republic, Symposium, Apology, Phaedrus, Laws, Crito, Phaedo, Timaeus, Meno, Euthyphro, Gorgias, Parmenides, Protagoras, Statesman and Critias
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“And what shall he suffer who slays him who of all men, as they say, is his own best friend? I mean the suicide, who deprives himself by violence of his appointed share of life. Not because the law of the state requires him. Nor yet under the compulsion of some painful and inevitable misfortune which has come upon him. Nor because he has had to suffer from irremediable and intolerable shame, but who from sloth or want of manliness imposes upon himself an unjust penalty.”

MenWantMeanStatesLawSufferingViolenceShareShameSuicidePainfulInevitableMisfortunesPenaltiesUnjustSuicidalCompulsionSlothManliness
Book:The Complete Plato
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“A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things.”

MindMotivationGratitudeGratefulAppreciationGreat ThingsThank YouThankfulBeing ThankfulThankful GratitudeGreat MindsExpressing GratitudeThanksgiving And GratitudeThanksgiving GratitudeThank You GratitudeGratitude And ThanksGreat GratitudeThankful For YouExpress AppreciationThank You AppreciationGratitude For LifeGrateful For YouGrateful ThankfulGratitude For WorkGrateful ThanksThings To Be ThankfulGrateful For LifeBeing Grateful For LifeThings To Be GratefulWork AppreciationGrateful And Thankful
Author:Plato
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