P
Plato
428 BCE – 348 BCE
Student of Socrates and founder of the Academy, the Western world's first institution of higher learning.
philosopherancient greeceeducator
Plato was an Athenian philosopher who studied under Socrates and became one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. After Socrates' execution, Plato traveled widely before returning to Athens and founding the Academy (around 387 BCE), which is considered the first university in the Western world. His works, written as dialogues featuring Socrates, explore justice, beauty, equality, politics, and knowledge. His most famous work, The Republic, imagines an ideal state governed by philosopher-kings. Plato's student Aristotle went on to tutor Alexander the Great, creating a chain of intellectual influence that shaped the entire Western world.