The Life of Plato

The Biography of Philosophy’s Father

Alfred North Whitehead once famously described the history of philosophy as being a series of footnotes to Plato. The breadth of topics and subjects that Plato birthed is second to no other thinker.

And yet, despite the immense influence of the Ancient Athenian, his life is shrouded in mystery. Despite his writings being the most prodigious gift from Antiquity bar none — with all of his Dialogues (and then some) surviving the culling of the intellectual tradition in the Dark Ages — the life of the philosopher is much more legend than fact.

Most of the biographical details we have about Plato come from at least 500 years after his death. Much like his notorious teacher Socrates, Plato’s life is shrouded in mystery.

In this episode, we are going to explore what we have of Plato’s biography. The marriage of myth and fact is so complete with Plato’s life that to call this a historical biography of Plato would be misleading. Nevertheless there is much to be gained from the exercise — we certainly get a sense for the shape of Plato’s life and there are many legends and stories attached to his name that are interesting not only for their entertainment value but also for the insight they give us into the ancient psyche and the importance of Plato in it.