Plato’s best phrases to understand the world

Plato left large amounts of his wisdom captured in his writings, still available today. Let’s see pieces of it.

There was a time when Ancient Greece was synonymous with splendor and wisdom. Philosophers like Plato lived alongside poets, mathematicians, astronomers and other scholars, although there was never anyone better than him to express the thoughts of his generation. Plato’s best quotes are those that focus on understanding, individualism, and self-knowledge.

It is not very bold to consider this philosopher as one of the most reactionary of this period. While it is true that the long shadow of Socrates and his influence still looms over his achievements, it was not something that bothered him excessively in his day. Due to his urgent need to write down all his ideas, today we can access his writings, advice and lessons with great ease.

Thanks to his discoveries, this Athenian gymnastics fan ended up becoming, along with Aristotle and Socrates, one of the great figures of Western philosophy. Philosophy that today centers the bases of our education, politics and contemporary thought.

Plato’s best phrases to understand the world

1. “It is not the eyes that see, but what we see through the eyes”

Plato uses an allegory, The Myth of the Cave, to explain the relationship of the physical world to the world of ideas. The group of people chained inside the cave believe that this is their only reality and when they manage to see what is outside, the sun damages their eyes. They want to return to the darkness, because it is more comfortable and it is what they are used to, but upon their return their perception of the world has changed.

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With this fable, the philosopher urges us to ask ourselves why we are chained. Are we afraid of what we might discover if we let go of our chains? The shadows that we observe from inside the cave simulate a deceptive reality and distract us from the true reality: what is happening outside.

2. “The wise man will always want to be with the one who is better than him”

One of Plato’s best phrases for understanding the world focuses on his belief that the world should be governed by philosophers. According to him, they are the wisest and most qualified to govern. Because he belonged to an aristocratic family he was deeply undemocratic, although he was never afraid to show his discontent with government measures.

He greatly admired other philosophers, such as Socrates, from whom he believed he could learn a lot. Thanks to him he discovered an absolutist conception of universal truth, beyond the ideas that he as an individual could have had. It is always necessary to surround ourselves with people who can teach us something, even if we do not agree with them.

3. “We must look for a cause other than God for our evils”

Given his admiration for Socrates, whose disciple he was, his death sentence for propagating supposed pagan theories affected him deeply. He considered it unfair that he was executed for proposing alternatives to the established ones, which were not even such.

From his mentor he learned that People are not bad by nature, but by ignorance. The human being himself is the owner of his actions and responsible for his decisions. Hiding behind a God to carry out unjust actions is an aberration.

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4. “No human cause deserves such anxiety”

This statement has become one of Plato’s best phrases. No human cause deserves our anguish and stress. If we stop to thinkmost of the time we worry about banal things that have an easy solution.

In the situation where the anxiety is really justified, we must manage it. We cannot let it affect our health or make us feel even more miserable.

5. “By seeking the good of our fellow men we will find our own”

This, removed from Plato’s phrases to understand the world, is currently a hymn to understanding and kindness. Plato’s maxim was to establish a just regime that would allow people to live in peace. Unfortunately, he did not succeed, but it is never too late for the rest of us to do our bit.

“Do good without looking at whom”

-Ricardo Palma-

Help others It not only benefits them, but also us. It makes us feel useful and empathize with others, generating a very satisfying feeling.

Plato was ahead of his time. Despite his numerous criticisms for his antagonistic positions, his teachings are still valid today. Our problems are very similar and perhaps if we put his advice into practice we would learn to see life from another perspective.