Plato
Plato is one of the most famous philosophers in the history of ancient Greek. Plato is also considered the father of western philosophy by most scholars. Also, Plato had much influence on other Greek scholars, such as Socrates, his teacher, and Aristotle, one of his prominent students. Plato was born in Athens between 429BCE and 423BCE, where his parents, Ariston and Perictione, were very wealthy (Voss, 2021). Born in an aristocratic family, Plato had a quality education where he studied the ancient Greek curriculum that included the Greek language and music.
After gaining an education, plate started writing on philosophy which involved politics and human well-being. At age 40, Plato traveled to Italy, where he established the earliest institution of higher learning, the academy. Plato met with Aristotle through the newly formed learning institution (Voss, 2021). Plato is regarded as the founder of higher learning through the academy’s establishment. Later, Plato moved back to Greece and died in his eighties.
Plato’s works have a significant contribution to modern philosophy. Plato did many works, but some major works include the republic. In his work, Plato focuses more on social justice and different forms of political power and their impacts (Voss, 2021). Some of the significant philosophies developed by Plato include the theory of forms, where Plato focuses on the negative impact of materialism. Also, Plato developed the theory of ethical belief, where he suggested that morality can only be achieved when people can differentiate between good and evil.
Socrates
Socrates was one of the pioneers of ancient Greek philosophy, and he lived between 470 BC and 399BC. Socrates was born in Greece to two parents, but their family was relatively affluent. He got an education in Greece, where he learned ancient Greek law, reading, and writing. While in his middle age, Socrates performed military service and started practicing and teaching philosophy. Socrates was Plato’s teacher, and he was considered one of the pioneers of ancient Greek philosophy. However, most of Socrates’ works are not documented, but they involve dialogues hence the name Socratic dialogues (Debra & Monoson, 2022). Some of the famous students of Socrates, such as Plato and Xenophon, wrote their works based on the teachings they learned from their teacher Socrates. However, the works of Xenophon would later gain criticism from other philosophers. As Socrates influenced them, they led to the Socratic problem.
Socrates lived a different life when he started his philosophical works and dialogues. He neglected his bodily appearance and did not focus on gaining material wealth. As a result of his philosophies, the public started being influenced by the life of Socrates (Debra & Monoson, 2022). Due to his personal beliefs, Socrates differed from the tyrant political system in power during his time and found himself in confrontation with people in authority. However, Socrates was a law-abiding citizen, but his influence on the public attracted the attention of the corrupt people in government. Eventually, Socrates was arrested and accused of worshiping false gods, negatively influencing the youth, and neglecting the ancient Greek religion. The law executed Socrates, but he left a considerable legacy as the founder of Greek philosophy (Debra & Monoson, 2022).
Summary of Early Chinese Literature
During the Chinese civilization, there rose legendary Chinese rulers who focused on different vital values to ensure the Chinese history and religion were preserved and that there was economic prosperity. The first dynasty was the Shang dynasty but was oppressive hence being overthrown by the Zhou dynasty. Religious philosophies such as Confucius and Daoism were developed during the Zhou dynasty. After the death of the first Chinese emperor, the Han dynasty came into power, and one of the critical rulers during his reign was emperor Wu. Emperor Wu transformed China by expanding the territorial boundaries and strengthening the Chinese economy. Emperor Wu developed a state academy where he involved Confucian scholars in training government officials. In the Chinese academy, Confucian scholars taught human virtues and religious literature to all the students. The curriculum involved classic poetry, which included religious teachings from the Chinese ancestors to preserve the ancient Chinese religion. The use of classic poetry significantly impacted teaching morality and ensured that Chinese culture did not fade away over time. The use of ancient literature also had a significant role in ensuring that positive transformation was achieved in Chinese society.
References
Debra, N., & Monoson, S. (2022). Socrates. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/
Voss, C. (2021). The Life of Plato: A Look at the Philosopher’s Key Works. Masterclass. Retrieved from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/plato-philosophy-explained
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