Plato's Life and Context
The Classical Greek Philosophers
Socrates: 469 - 399 B.C.E.
Plato: 427 - 347 B.C.E.
Aristotle: 384 - 323/2 B.C.E.
Sources of Information on the Historical Socrates (besides Plato):
Xenophon ?430 - 354: Apology, Memorabilia, Symposium, Economicus
Aristophanes 445-385 The Clouds, 423 B.C.E.
Aristotle: See Metaphysics 987B1-6, 1086a37-b5
Socrates was unlike Plato:
- concerned himself with ethics
- sought definitions of universals
- didn't separate the universals
Key Events in Plato's Lifetime
- Pericles (495-429 B.C.E.), Prosperity, and the Building Program on the
Acropolis
- Athens dominates Sparta 454
- Peloponnesian War (Athens vs. Sparta) 431-404
- Socrates at Battle of Poteidaia (1/4 men killed) 432-29
- Fall of Athens: 404, Thirty Tyrants 403, Democracy Restored 399, Socrates Executed
- Plague in Athens 430-27 Sophocles' Oedipus Rex 429 Sophocles' Death 405
- Plato visits Sicily: 387; 367; 360
- Founding of the Academy: 386 (lasted 900 years)
- Aristotle comes to the Academy (age 17): 367
- Philip of Macedon begins his conquests 359
- First Roman victory 340
Periods of Plato's Dialogues*
Early: short, focused on ethical virtues, negative, Socrates has no knowledge
- Euthyphro, Ion, Apology, Crito, Laches, Lysis, Hippias, Charmides
Middle: longer, Forms introduced and used, unity of virtues, anti-akrasia (weakness
of will)
- Phaedo, Symposium, Republic, Phaedrus, Parmenides and Timaeus (transitional)
Late ("Academic"): analytic, abstract, un-conversational, knotty, difficult
- Theaetetus, Sophist, Statesman, Philebus, Laws
*Note: The dating of Plato's works is controversial. This is one
conjecture which has some support, but not the only possible one.
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