Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves or their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.
PlatoShall we not, then, lay down a law, in the first place, that boys shall abstain altogether from wine till their eighteenth year, thereby teaching that it is wrong to add fire to fire, as through a funnel, pouring it into their body and soul before they proceed to the labor of life, thus exercising a caution as to the maddening habits of youth.
PlatoYou may be sure, dear Crito, that inaccurate language is not only in itself a mistake: it implants evil in men's souls.
PlatoNo 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.
PlatoThe soul takes flight to the world that is invisible but there arriving she is sure of bliss and forever dwells in paradise.
PlatoThe well-nurtured youth is one who would see most clearly whatever was amiss in ill-made works of man or ill-grown works of nature, and with a just distaste would blame and hate the ugly even from his earliest years and would give delighted praise to beauty, receiving it into his soul and being nourished by it, so that he became a man of gentle heart.
PlatoIs it not true that the clever rogue is like the runner who runs well for the first half of the course, but flags before reaching the goal: he is quick off the mark, but ends in disgrace and slinks away crestfallen and uncrowned. The crown is the prize of the really good runner who perseveres to the end.
PlatoTo escape from evil we must be made as far as possible like God; and the resemblance consists in becoming just and holy and wise.
PlatoThe more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation.
PlatoThe god, O men, seems to me to be really wise; and by his oracle to mean this, that the wisdom of this world is foolishness and of none effect.
PlatoIf it is naturally in you to be a good orator, a notable orator you will be when you have acquired knowledge and practice.
PlatoDesires are only the lack of something: and those who have the greatest desires are in a worse condition than those who have none, or very slight ones.
PlatoI know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with
PlatoThat politician who curries favor with the citizens and indulges them and fawns upon them and has a presentiment of their wishes, and is skillful in gratifying them, he is esteemed a great statesman.
PlatoIn heaven there is laid up a pattern which he who chooses may behold, and beholding, set his own house in order. The time has now arrived at which they must raise the eye of the soul to the Universal Light which lightens all things. With the eye ever directed toward things fixed and immutable which neither injure nor are injured - these they cannot help imitating. But I quite admit the difficulty of believing that in every man there is an eye of the soul which by the right direction is re-illumined, and is more precious far than ten thousand bodily eyes.
PlatoWe ought to esteem it of the greatest importance that the fictions which children first hear should be adapted in the most perfect manner to the promotion of virtue.
PlatoAnd the first step, as you know, is always what matters most, particularly when we are dealing with those who are young and tender. That is the time when they are taking shape and when any impression we choose to make leaves a permanent mark.
PlatoThe three wishes of every man: to be healthy, to be rich by honest means, and to be beautiful.
Plato[Not enough is known about solid geometry] and for two reasons: in the first place, no government places value on it; this leads to a lack of energy in the pursuit of it, and it is difficult. In the second place, students cannot learn it unless they have a teacher. But then a teacher can hardly be found.
PlatoEntire ignorance is not so terrible or extreme an evil, and is far from being the greatest of all.
PlatoMan never legislates,but destinies and accidents,happening in all sorts of ways,legislate in all sorts of ways.
PlatoIt seems to me that whatever else is beautiful apart from asbsolute beauty is beautiful because it partakes of that absolute beauty, and for no other reason. Do you accept this kind of causality?
PlatoMany men are loved by their enemies, and hated by their friends, and are the friends of their enemies, and the enemies of their friends.
PlatoEducation in music is most sovereign because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way to the innermost soul and take strongest hold upon it
PlatoSo the nature required to make a really noble Guardian of our commonwealth will be swift and strong, spirited, and philosophic.
PlatoMan's music is seen as a means of restoring the soul, as well as confused and discordant bodily afflictions, to the harmonic proportions that it shares with the world soul of the cosmos.
PlatoWhat I say is that 'just' or 'right' means nothing but what is in the interest of the stronger party.
PlatoBut this is not difficult, O Athenians! to escape death; but it is much more difficult to avoid depravity, for it runs swifter than death. And now I, being slow and aged, am overtaken by the slower of the two; but my accusers, being strong and active, have been overtaken by the swifter, wickedness. And now I depart, condemned by you to death; but they condemned by truth, as guilty of iniquity and injustice: and I abide my sentence, and so do they. These things, perhaps, ought so to be, and I think that they are for the best.
Plato