Plato Facts & Worksheets

Major Works and Philosophical Contributions of Plato

• Plato wrote his ideas as conversations, called dialogues, where characters discuss big questions about truth and justice. Most of these dialogues feature Socrates as the main speaker, using a question-and-answer method called dialectic. Plato never made himself a speaker in his works. The only dialogue that suggests he was present is Apology, which defends Socrates. 
• Some dialogues are like plays, with no narrator. Others have someone telling the story of a past conversation. For example, Symposium is told by Apollodorus, who heard it from another person years after it happened. Theaetetus is even more complex, with one conversation placed inside another. Some scholars think Plato changed his style over time to experiment with different ways of writing.

The Theory of Forms

• One of Plato’s most important ideas is the theory of forms. He believed that the world we see is not the real world – it is just a shadow of a perfect, unchanging world of ideas. Everything in daily life is only an imperfect copy of its ideal form. For example, all beautiful things in the world are just reflections of the perfect Form of Beauty.  
• He explained this idea with the Allegory of the Cave in The Republic. Imagine prisoners chained in a dark cave, only able to see shadows on a wall. These shadows are the only reality they know. If one prisoner escapes and sees the outside world, they will realise that the shadows were not real. In the same way, Plato believed that most people only experience a limited, imperfect version of reality. Philosophers, through reason, seek the true world beyond appearances.

The Soul and Reincarnation

• Plato believed that the soul is immortal and goes through cycles of rebirth. He argued that before birth, the soul already knows everything, but we forget when we are born. Learning, according to Plato, is simply remembering knowledge that the soul already had.
• He showed this in Meno, where Socrates asked an uneducated boy a maths question. The boy, without any prior lessons, was able to find the answer. Plato saw this as proof that knowledge is already inside us and just needs to be recalled.  

He also believed the soul has three parts:  

• • Reason – the wise part that seeks truth  
  • Spirit – the emotional part that desires honour  
  • Desires – the part that seeks pleasure, like food and wealth  

• Plato believed that a person is truly happy when these three parts are balanced, with reason in control. This idea connects to his political theory, where he believed society should also have a structure where wisdom rules over emotions and desires.

The Ideal Society in The Republic

In The Republic, Plato described his idea of a perfect society. He divided people into three groups:  

• • Rulers (philosopher-kings) – the wisest people who should govern
  • Guardians (soldiers) – the protectors of society 
  • Workers (farmers, merchants, craftspeople) – the ones who provide goods and services  

• He believed that society would be fair if everyone did the job they were best suited for. Plato was critical of democracy, arguing that most people lack wisdom and can be easily misled. He thought that only philosopher-kings should rule because they understand what is truly good.

Knowledge and Truth

• Plato argued that we cannot trust our senses because the physical world is always changing. Instead, true knowledge comes from using our minds to understand eternal ideas, like numbers, justice and beauty. He saw mathematics as a perfect example of real knowledge, as numbers and shapes do not change over time.  

The Role of Education

• Plato saw education as the path to wisdom and a just society. He founded the Academy in Athens, one of the first formal schools in history. In The Republic, he argued that rulers should go through years of education before they are ready to govern. He believed that only those who had studied deeply and understood the theory of forms should be allowed to lead.  

Poetry and Art

• Plato was suspicious of poetry and art because they imitate reality instead of revealing truth. He worried that art appeals to emotions rather than reason and could mislead people. In The Republic, he even suggested that poets should be banned from the ideal society because their work could stir up dangerous emotions.
• However, he also saw the value of myths and stories in teaching important lessons. Some of his dialogues, like Timaeus, use mythical storytelling to explain complex ideas about the universe.

The Order of Plato’s Writings

Scholars often divide Plato’s works into three periods:  

• • Early dialogues – mostly focused on Socrates’ questioning method, often ending without a clear answer (Apology, Crito, Euthyphro)
  • Middle dialogues – more developed ideas, including the theory of forms (The Republic, Phaedo, Symposium)
  • Late dialogues – complex and sometimes challenging works that question earlier ideas (Timaeus, The Laws, The Sophist)

• There is still debate about the exact order of his writings. Some scholars believe he changed his ideas over time, while others think he simply explored different perspectives in each dialogue.
• Plato’s works were preserved by later scholars. In the first century CE, a philosopher named Thrasyllus organised them into the form we know today. During the Renaissance, interest in Plato grew again when scholars brought Greek texts to Western Europe. In 1484, a translator named Marsilio Ficino published the first full Latin version of Plato’s works. 
• The most famous edition of his writings, the 1578 Stephanus edition, became the standard version. Today, the most widely used English translation is the 1997 Hackett edition, edited by John M. Cooper. 

Later Life and Death of Plato

• In his later years, Plato continued teaching at the Academy in Athens, which had become one of the most important schools of philosophy. During this time, he wrote some of his most difficult works, such as The Laws and Timaeus, which explored ideas about the universe, morality and government. Unlike The Republic, which focused on philosopher-kings, The Laws described a government with strict rules to keep order.  
• Plato also travelled again to Sicily, hoping to turn the young ruler Dionysius II into a wise philosopher-king. However, this plan failed and he returned to Athens. Even though his political ideas were not successful, he remained respected as a great thinker and teacher.  
• Plato died in Athens around 347 BCE, likely in his early 80s. Some sources say he died on his birthday. However, there are different stories about his death. One says he passed away peacefully in his sleep. Another claims he died at a wedding feast. A third story describes him lying in bed with a high fever while a young Thracian enslaved girl played the flute. Even though he was close to death, he listened carefully and pointed out mistakes in her playing. Soon after, he died.  
• Plato was buried in the garden of the Academy. His ideas continued to influence philosophy, politics and education long after his death.