The philosopher Plato was, in many ways, one of the most important figures in the development of Western culture.
This selection of Plato’s phrases is interesting precisely because, through short reflections, it gives us a glimpse of his rich philosophical thought that left an incomparable legacy.
26. Wisdom becomes evil if it does not point towards virtue
What wisdom is used for also matters from an ethical perspective.
27. The largest stones cannot be well seated without the smallest ones
A metaphor about hierarchies.
28. When it is the crowd that exercises its authority, it is more cruel than tyrants
One of Plato’s phrases about social behavior in crowds.
29. The beginning is the most important part of the journey
Starting is in itself one of the great milestones of the path to follow.
30. Every tear shed reveals a truth to mortals
Sadness and negative feelings are usually caused by events that shock us and help us to better structure our ideas.
31. Good faith is the foundation of any society
One of Plato’s phrases about the affections that hold society together.
32. True philosophers are those who enjoy contemplating the truth
Philosophy consists of rising towards the truth, according to Plato.
33. Honesty usually generates less profits than lying
A bitter reflection on the consequences of being honest.
34. Poetry is closer to the vital truth than history
Poetry can also be close to knowledge.
35. Every man can harm someone, but not everyone can do good
An apparent paradox pointed out by this philosopher.
36. The virtuous are content to dream what sinners do in life
Plato reflects on the need to lead a life of control over desires.
37. Wit is a lesser copy of wisdom
Another of the definitions that Plato gives, in this case it establishes a clear hierarchy between wisdom and ingenuity
38. Nothing in the chores of man deserves much anxiety
About the emotional implications in the banal problems of life on the earthly plane.
39. The best achievement of injustice is to appear fair without being so
A reflection on injustice and the way in which it is masked.
40. If particulars have a meaning, universals must exist
Plato reflects on universal ideas, which are valid at any time and in any place, and their relationship to particular ideas, which are only true in some contexts.
41. In contact with love, everyone becomes poets
One of Plato’s phrases about love and its effects on people.
42. By learning to die you learn to live better
Plato talks here about the philosophy of renunciation.
43. There must always be something that opposes good
Good and evil are necessary to understand both concepts. If evil does not exist, good cannot exist either.
44. The intelligent man speaks with authority when he directs his own life
Assertiveness was one of the characteristics that this philosopher defended.
45. Freedom means being owners of our own life
A Platonic reflection on freedom.
46. Wisdom is, in itself, the science of the rest of the sciences
The phrase shows the relationship between wisdom and what in Plato’s time could be considered science.
47. If you search, you will find
One of Plato’s most remembered phrases.
48. What I don’t know, I don’t think I know either
This philosopher gave great importance to the need for opinions to be well founded.
49. Time is the image of eternity in motion
An original conception about the nature of time.
50. When a man does not sacrifice himself for his ideas, either they are worthless or the man is worthless
An aphorism about the value of people and their principles.
51. There is only one type of virtue, and many forms of evil
A comparison that highlights this difference between virtue and evil.
52. Tyranny arises naturally from democracy
Plato believed that political participation through Athenian democracy contained the seeds of future tyrannies.
53. Consolation is cold and tasteless if it is not wrapped in a solution
Words of comfort mean little by themselves.
54. Excessive accumulation of something causes a reaction in the opposite direction
An abstract idea that can be applied to a wide variety of situations.
55. Life has to be lived as a game
Plato talks about a certain distance that must be maintained with respect to what happens in the material world, since It has little to do with the world of ideas in which, according to the philosopher, the truth rested
56. Reason and value will always prevail over tradition and ingratitude
Plato sees with a certain determinism the struggle between reason and good against evil and superstition.
57. Young people have to refrain from tasting wine, since it is a mistake to add fire to fire
A reflection on the passionate and wayward nature of youth.
58. The man brutalized by superstition is the most despicable
Superstition, as it opposes reason, is an element deeply despised by Plato.
59. Music gives soul to the universe
Another of the phrases about music left by Plato. In this case he relates it to the functioning of the cosmos.
60. Poverty does not come from the decrease in wealth, but from the multiplication of desires
Another reflection on humility and its opposition to banal desires and needs.
61. It is difficult to distinguish the contours of the shadow of a lie
The danger of falsehood is that it is easy to pretend to be something it is not.
62. Our struggle is to find the right way to do things
Plato was strongly moralistic, and believed that there is one way of acting that is in itself superior to the others.
63. A strong moral conscience is necessary to know the truth
This philosopher related ethics to epistemology
64. To get to the truth you must first expel fears
You cannot get to the truth if there are hidden interests.
65. Once you have begun to know yourself, it is impossible not to fall in love with the idea of seeing things as they are.
The truth attracts inquiries.
66. There is little truth in the words of someone who only knows how much he has touched
Plato was fundamentally a rationalist, and valued introspection more than empiricism.
67. The strongest men are those who have considered what reality is like
Once again, Plato draws a relationship between morality and knowledge.
68. It is necessary to expel the demons of lies
Another of Plato’s phrases about the deceptions of the false.
69. We must build a society in which everyone does what they are best at
Plato developed a political ideal based on segregation and elitism
70. Being wise requires time and effort, but above all honesty
Honesty is necessary to start from true and objective foundations, for Plato.
71. Knowledge must be shared
The truth must be shared, as a moral mandate.
72. Being aware of what is really happening causes pain
Since the truth is independent of us, what it contains often causes discomfort.
73. There is nothing that escapes the perfection of ideas
As an idealist, Plato believed that all reality is fundamentally composed of universals.
74. The object is an imperfect copy of what really exists
The material, for Plato, is a deception.
75. Let us retrace our steps to reach the foundation of reason
According to this philosopher, we must start from robust theoretical foundations to think well.
76. It is good to approach things with a clean mind
You have to start from honesty and humility to do philosophy.
77. There is more truth in geometry than in any promise
In a similar way to the Pythagoreans, Plato extolled the truth of mathematics because their statements do not depend on the context.
78. The wise man is aware that the key is in the questions
A phrase that is reminiscent of the way in which Socrates approached philosophical dialogue.
79. Thinking without gaps is necessary to build sources of knowledge
A metaphorical way of saying that the truth has no imperfections, according to Plato.
80. An entire explanation of the world exists beyond us
