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Famous Plato Quotes

“No one punishes the evil-doer under the notion, or for the reason, that he has done wrong -- only the unreasonable fury of a beast acts in that way. But he who desires to inflict rational punishment does not retaliate for a past wrong, for that which is done cannot be undone, but he has regard to the future, and is desirous that the man who is punished, and he who sees him punished, may be deterred from doing wrong again.”

MenWayMayDoeReasonDonePastDesireEvilHe ManRegardNotionPunishmentRationalBeastFuryUndoneUnreasonableDoersEvil DoersPast Wrongs
Author:Plato
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“In heaven there is laid up a pattern which he who chooses may behold, and beholding, set his own house in order. The time has now arrived at which they must raise the eye of the soul to the Universal Light which lightens all things. With the eye ever directed toward things fixed and immutable which neither injure nor are injured - these they cannot help imitating. But I quite admit the difficulty of believing that in every man there is an eye of the soul which by the right direction is re-illumined, and is more precious far than ten thousand bodily eyes.”

MenBelieveMaySoulHelpingLightEyeOrderHouseHeavenThousandTenAll ThingsUniversalDifficultyRaisesPatternsEvery ManFixedInjuredRight DirectionImitating
Author:Plato
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“For not by art does the poet sing, but by power divine. Had he learned by rules of art, he would have known how to speak not of one theme only, but of all; and therefore God takes away the minds of poets, and uses them as his ministers, as he also uses diviners and holy prophets, in order that we who hear them may know them to be speaking not of themselves who utter these priceless words in a state of unconsciousness, but that God himself is the speaker, and that through them he is conversing with us.”

KnowsMindMayDoeArtStatesUseOrderSpeakKnownDivinePoetHolyMinistersProphetThemeSpeakersPricelessUnconsciousnessHoly Prophet
Author:Plato
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“In particular I may mention Sophocles the poet, who was once asked in my presence, How do you feel about love, Sophocles? are you still capable of it? to which he replied, Hush! if you please: to my great delight I have escaped from it, and feel as if I had escaped from a frantic and savage master. I thought then, as I do now, that he spoke wisely. For unquestionably old age brings us profound repose and freedom from this and other passions.”

IfsLoveFeelsMayStillsAgePassionParticularPoetMastersPleaseCapableProfoundDelightOld AgeSpokesSavagesPlatoReposeHushFrantic
Book:The Republic of Plato, Translated Into English, with an Introduction, Analysis, and Notes. By J. Ll. Davies and D. J. Vaughan
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“To the rulers of the state then, if to any, it belongs of right to use falsehood, to deceive either enemies or their own citizens, for the good of the state: and no one else may meddle with this privilege.”

IfsMayStatesUseLyingEnemyCitizensPrivilegeRulersFalsehoodDeceivingPlato
Book:The Republic of Plato, tr. with an analysis and notes, by J.L. Davies and D.J. Vaughan
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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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“O youth or young man, who fancy that you are neglected by the gods, know that if you become worse, you shall go to worse souls, or if better to the better... In every succession of life and death, you will do and suffer what like may fitly suffer at the hands of like. This is the justice of heaven.”

IfsKnowsMenMaySoulHandsYoungSufferingHeavenJusticeYouthKarmaYoung ManFancyLife And DeathGod KnowsNeglectedSuccession
Book:Plato: The Complete Works: 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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“Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may.”

IfsMenMindMayRealityEyeRememberBeautyVirtueMindfulnessMortalsImmortalCommunionBeauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Book:The Portable Plato
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“Then may we not fairly plead in reply that our true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth, and is not content with common opinion, but soars with undimmed and unwearied passion till he grasps the essential nature of things with the mental faculty fitted to do so, that is, with the faculty which is akin to reality, and which approaches and unites with it, and begets intelligence and truth as children, and is only released from travail when it has thus reached knowledge and true life and satisfaction?”

MayChildrenRealityPassionCommonOpinionLoversWords Of WisdomEssentialsApproachStriveSatisfactionFacultyStrifeSoarBegetsTrue LifeTrue Lovers
Author:Plato
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“SOCRATES: Perhaps we may be wrong; if so, you in your wisdom should convince us that we are mistaken in preferring justice to injustice. THRASYMACHUS: And how am I to convince you, he said, if you are not already convinced by what I have just said; what more can I do for you? Would you have me put the proof bodily into your souls?”

IfsShouldMaySaidSoulJusticeInjusticeConvincedProofYour SoulConvinceMistakenConvince Us
Book:Republic. Timaeus. Critias
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