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Plato Quotes

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Famous Plato Quotes

“...when he looks at Beauty in the only way that Beauty can be seen - only then will it become possible for him to give birth not to images of virtue (because he's in touch with no images), but to true virtue [arete] (because he is in touch with true Beauty). The love of the gods belongs to anyone who has given to true virtue and nourished it, and if any human being could become immortal, it would be he.”

LovePhilosophyTruthBeautyVirtue
Book:The Symposium
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“Then as for those who gaze upon many beautiful things but don't see the beautiful itself, and aren't even capable of following someone else who leads them to it, and upon many just things but not the just itself, and all the things like that, we'll claim that they accept the seeming of everything but discern nothing of what they have opinions about.”

PhilosophyBeautifulJusticeVirtueEssenceAppearanceGoodJustHigher FormsMoral BeautyRealm Of The Forms
Book:The Republic
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“God is a geometrician.”

ArtPhilosophyGodHistory
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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“The democratic youth lives along day by day, gratifying the desire that occurs to him, at one time drinking and listening to the flute, at another downing water and reducing, now practicing gymnastic, and again idling and neglecting everything; and sometimes spending his time as though he were occupied in philosophy.”

SometimesPhilosophyDesireWaterYouthListeningDemocraticDrinkingSpendingNeglectOne TimePlatoReducingFlutesLong DayYouth LifeDowning
Author:Plato
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“That makes me think, my friend, as I have often done before, how natural it is that those who have spent a long time in the study of philosophy appear ridiculous when they enter the courts of law as speakers. Those who have knocked about in courts and the like from their youth up seem to me, when compared with those who have been brought up in philosophy and similar pursuits, to be as slaves in breeding compared with freemen.”

ThinkingLongHas BeensDonePhilosophySeemsLawNaturalStudyYouthLong TimeMy FriendsCourtSlaveRidiculousPursuitSpeakersPlatoBreedingFreeman
Book:Theaetetus, Sophist
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“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.”

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Book:The Republic
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“Homosexuality is regarded as shameful by barbarians and by those who live under despotic governments just as philosophy is regarded as shameful by them, because it is apparently not in the interest of such rulers to have great ideas engendered in their subjects, or powerful friendships or passionate love - all of which homosexuality is particularly apt to produce.”

IdeasPhilosophyGovernmentInterestPowerfulSubjectsProduceGayPassionateLgbtRulersHomosexualityGreat IdeaShamefulBarbariansPassionate LoveBeing Gay
Author:Plato
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“Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,... nor, I think, will the human race.”

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Book:The Philosophy Collection [97 Books]
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“I don't know anything that gives me greater pleasure, or profit either, than talking or listening to philosophy. But when it comes to ordinary conversation, such as the stuff you talk about financiers and the money market, well, I find it pretty tiresome personally, and I feel sorry that my friends should think they're being very busy when they're really doing absolutely nothing. Of course, I know your idea of me: you think I'm just a poor unfortunate, and I shouldn't wonder if your right. But then I dont THINK that you're unfortunate - I know you are.”

IfsThinkingKnowsGivingFeelsShouldWellsIdeasPhilosophyCoursesStuffPleasurePoorTalkingWonderGreaterListeningWords Of WisdomConversationOrdinaryMy FriendsGive MeSorryBusyProfitUnfortunateAbsolutely NothingTiresomeFinanciers
Book:Plato - Dialogues
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“Vision, in my view, is the cause of the greatest benefit to us, inasmuch as none of the accounts now given concerning the Universe would ever have been given if men had not seen the stars or the sun or the heavens. But as it is, the vision of day and night and of months and circling years has created the art of number and has given us not only the notion of Time but also means of research into the nature of the Universe. From these we have procured Philosophy in all its range, than which no greater boon ever has come or will come, by divine bestowal, unto the race of mortals.”

IfsMenYearsMeanHas BeensArtPhilosophyNightUniverseGivenHeavenStarsCausesSpaceViewsNumbersRaceVisionSunGreaterDivineMonthsBenefitsResearchAccountsNotionMortalsRangeDay And NightStar GazingBoonSun And Stars
Author:Plato
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