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Platos Philosophical Influence

f question and answer through it. Plato was devoted to writing and teaching until he reached the age of eighty, in which he died in the middle of around 348-347 B.C. Plato's philosophy came from the Socratic teaching, which taught that the only true knowledge is a knowledge by means of concepts. The concept portrays all the reality of a thing, a principle of knowledge, and Being (Wilbur-Allen 10). For example, "if the concept represents all the reality of things, the reality must be something in the ideal order...for the concept, Plato substitutes the idea" (Mendenhall 109). Plato completes Socrates' work when he teaches that the objectively real ideas are the foundation and justification of scientific knowledge (Taylor 16). The Platonic theory of Ideas is an attempt to solve the question about the problem of change. Plato stated that, "The Eleatics are right in maintaining that reality does not change for the ideas are immutable" (Wilbur-Allen 10). Then he assumes a world of ideas apart from the world of experiences. He also views that all humans' souls were once residing in that high world. That is when we notice in the "shadow-world" around us a "phenomenon" (Taylor 518). There is a pleasant amazement at the differences it enjoyed in the previous being. This is what the duty of philosophy is, to try and climb higher from the "knowledge of phenomena to the realities" (More 310). Plato had a lifelong conviction that it is the essential responsibility of the philosopher, whose highest personal happiness would be found in the life of tranquil thought of truth and serving as a legislator (Taylor 2). Not only did he believe this, but he lived it. Philosophy or loving and single-minded devotion to truth is the gift of God to man. This is all untrue if there is no bearing fruit in humble service to their friends (Taylor 3). All deserving civilization is fed by these ideas, and after confusion or forgetfulness, the Western wo...

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