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Plato Quotes

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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.”

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Author:Plato
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“It is proper for every one to consider, in the case of all men, that he who has not been a servant cannot become a praiseworthy master; and it is meet that we should plume ourselves rather on acting the part of a servant properly than that of the master, first, towards the laws, (for in this way we are servants of the gods), and next, towards our elders.”

MenWayShouldFirstsLawNextActingCasesMastersServantEldersPraiseworthy
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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“We are too feeble and sluggish to make our way out to the upper limit of the air. If someone could reach the summit, or put on wings and fly aloft, when he put up his head he would see the world above, just as fishes see our world when they put up their heads out of the sea; and if his nature were able to bear the sight, he would recognize that that is the true heaven.”

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Author:Plato
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“They would be subject to no one, neither to lawful ruler nor to the reign of law, but would be altogether and absolutely free. That is the way they got their tyrants, for either servitude or freedom, when it goes to extremes, is an utter bane, while either in due measure is altogether a boon.”

WayWould BeLawSubjectsExtremesDuesTyrantsRulersReignServitudeBaneBoon
Book:The Collected Dialogues of Plato: Including The Letters
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“I was stupid enough to think that we ought to speak the truth about each person eulogised, and to make this the foundation, and from these truths to choose the most beautiful things and arrange them in the most elegant way; and I was quite proud to think how well I should speak, because I believed that I knew the truth.”

ThinkingWayShouldWellsPersonsEnoughBeautifulSpeakStupidOughtProudFoundationBeautiful ThingsElegantSpeak The TruthI Was Stupid
Book:Great dialogues of Plato
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“If there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their beloved, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonour, and emulating one another in honour; and when fighting at each other's side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this.”

IfsWorldWayShouldMadeStatesWould BeDiesFightingSidesCitiesMankindReadyArmsLoversThousandOvercomingArmyMereEndurePostsBelovedHonourThrowingGovernorsHandfulReady To DieThrowing AwayDishonourAbstaining
Book:Symposium
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“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul”

WaySoulSecretMusicDanceRhythmSongwritingWise Man Once SaidSecret LoveInspirational MusicGreek PhilosopherDance MusicMusic SoulMusic And DanceSecret PlacesSong And DanceMusic SpeaksNotes Music
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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“That's what education should be," I said, "the art of orientation. Educators should devise the simplest and most effective methods of turning minds around. It shouldn't be the art of implanting sight in the organ, but should proceed on the understanding that the organ already has the capacity, but is improperly aligned and isn't facing the right way.”

WayShouldMindArtSaidUnderstandingTeacherCapacitySightMethodOrgansRight WaySimplestOrientationEducator
Author:Plato
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“The souls of people, on their way to Earth-life, pass through a room full of lights; each takes a taper - often only a spark - to guide it in the dim country of this world. But some souls, by rare fortune, are detained longer - have time to grasp a handful of tapers, which they weave into a torch. These are the torch-bearers of humanity - its poets, seers and saints, who lead and lift the race out of darkness, toward the light. They are the law-givers and saviors, the light-bringers, way-showers and truth-tellers, and without them, humanity would lose its way in the dark.”

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Author:Plato
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“. . . you did not seem to me over-fond of money. And this is the way in general with those who have not made it themselves, while those who have are twice as fond of it as anyone else. For just as poets are fond of their own poems, and fathers of their own children, so money-makers become devoted to money, not only because, like other people, they find it useful, but because it's their own creation.”

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Book:The Republic
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“The principles are important. First, the interest of the state or society counts for everything, that of the individual for nothing. Second, the only difference between men and women is one of physical function- one begets, the other bears children. Apart from that, they both can and should perform the same functions - though men on a whole, perform them better and should receive the same education to enable them to do so; for in this way society will get the best value from both.”

MenWayShouldFirstsChildrenImportantStatesWholePoliticalValuesIndividualInterestDifferencesPrinciplesBearsMen And WomenFunctionBegetsDifferences Between Man And Woman
Author:Plato
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