Plato Quotes

Let every man remind their descendants that they also are soldiers who must not desert the ranks of their ancestors, or from cowardice fall behind.

All well bred men should have mastered the art of singing and dancing.

Those having torches will pass them on to others.

Life should be lived as play.

As to the artists, do we not know that he only of them whom love inspires has the light of fame?-he whom love touches not walks in darkness.

You cannot conceive the many without the one.

To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know.

Truth is the beginning of every good thing, both in heaven and on earth; and he who would be blessed and happy should be from the first a partaker of truth, for then he can be trusted.

There is no harm in repeating a good thing.

Necessity, who is the mother of our invention.

He whom Love touches not walks in darkness.

Lessons, however, that enter the soul against its will never grow roots and will never be preserved inside it.

All loves should be simply stepping stones to the love of God. So it was with me; and blessed be his name for his great goodness and mercy.

No one knows whether death is really the greatest blessing a man can have, but they fear it is the greatest curse, as if they knew well.

My plainness of speech makes people hate me, and what is their hatred but a proof that I am speaking the truth.

The only real ill-doing is the deprivation of knowledge.

A wise ignorance is an essential part of knowledge.

God is truth and light his shadow.

Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education.

Life must be lived as play, playing certain games, making sacrifices, singing and dancing, and then a man will be able to propitiate the gods.

Necessity is literally the mother of invention.

Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another.

A nation will prosper to the degree that it honors it's teachers.

If we are ever to have pure knowledge of anything, we must get rid of the body and contemplate things by themselves with the soul by itself.

Those whose hearts are fixed on Reality itself deserve the title of Philosophers.

I shall assume that your silence gives consent.

Wisdom always makes men fortunate: for by wisdom no man could ever err, and therefore he must act rightly and succeed, or his wisdom would be wisdom no longer.

To a good man nothing that happens is evil.

If you think your child's academic studies are more important than the arts, think again.

...there are some who are naturally fitted for philosophy and political leadership, while the rest should follow their lead and let philosophy alone.

Few men are so obstinate in their atheism, that a pressing danger will not compel them to acknowledgment of a divine power.

Every serious man in dealing with really serious subjects carefully avoids writing. ... There does not exist, nor will there ever exist, any writing of mine dealing with this subject.

Either we shall find what it is we are seeking or at least we shall free ourselves from the persuasion that we know what we do not know.

Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.

The learning and knowledge that we have,is,at the most,but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.

Man was not made for himself alone

Nothing ever is, everything is becoming.

When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest...and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war

Ignorance: the root of all evil.

Neither human wisdom nor divine inspiration can confer upon man any greater blessing than this [live a life of happiness and harmony here on earth].

Let no one destitute of geometry enter my doors.

If you are wise, all men will be your friends and kindred, for you will be useful.

Come then, and let us pass a leisure hour in storytelling, and our story shall be the education of our heroes.

Let nobody speak mischief of anybody.

It would be better for me ... that multitudes of men should disagree with me rather than that I, being one, should be out of harmony with myself.

If it is naturally in you to be a good orator, a notable orator you will be when you have acquired knowledge and practice.

Arrogance is ever accompanied by folly.

Abstinence is the surety of temperance.

Philosophy begins in wonder.

Let brother help brother.