Quotes from Plato

My opinion is: Truth must be absolute and that you Mr. Protagoras, are absolutely in error. Since this is indeed my opinion, then you must concede that it is true according to your philosophy.

There is nothing I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travelers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom I ought to inquire whether the way is smooth and easy or rugged and difficult. Is life harder toward the end, or what report do you give it?

Since then, as philosophers prove, appearance tyrannizes over truth and is lord of happiness, to appearance I must devote myself.

Would he not say with Homer,. Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their ...

I am speaking like a book, but I believe that what I am saying is true.

Beauty is the splendor of truth. (Die Schönheit ist der Glanz der Wahrheit)

I say that justice is nothing other than the advantage of [c] the stronger.

For no man is voluntarily bad; but the bad become bad by reason of an ill disposition of the body and bad education, things which are hateful to every man and happen to him against his will.

The author's Socrates admonishes paramount awareness human limitations. If we do good to those we evaluate as good and evil to those we evaluate at the evil, and we are wrong, we have been made the world less just.

Self conquest is the greatest of victories.

I am better off than he is,—for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows; I neither know nor think that I know.

Rather I think that a man who ... is willing ... to value learning as long as he lives, not supposing that old age brings him wisdom of itself, will necessarily pay more attention to the rest of his life.

Unless, said I, either philosophers become kings in our states or those whom we now call our kings and rulers take to the pursuit of philosophy seriously and adequately, and there is a conjunction of these two things, political power and philosophic intellgence, while the motley horde of the natures who at present pursue either apart from the other are compulsory excluded, there can be no cessation of troubles, dear Glaucon, for our states, nor, I fancy, for the human race either. (473d-e)

In which, if any, of these constitutions do we find the art of ruling being practiced in the actual government of men? What art is more difficult to learn? But what art is more important to us?

And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.

The State is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the State and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. You will not easily find another like me.

When I kiss Agathon my soul is on my lips, where it comes, poor thing, hoping to cross over.

But that we shall be better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know;—that is a theme upon which I am ready to fight, in word and deed, to the utmost of my power.

Then we got into a labyrinth, and, when we thought we were at the end, came out again at the beginning, having still to see as much as ever.

Star of my life, to the stars your face is turned; Would I were the heavens, looking back at you with ten thousand eyes.

First and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered By self is, of all things. the most shameful and objectionable.

For a poet is an airy thing, winged and holy, and he is not able to make poetry until he becomes inspired and goes out of his mind and his intellect is no longer in him.

We can easily forget a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

If you harm a horse do you make him better or worse? Worse.