Plato wanted to know: how a society could get better at producing not military power but fulfilled people? <ul><li>Athenian society was very focused on the rich and sports celebrities. Plato wasn't impressed: It really matters who we admire, because that influences our outlook, ideas, and conduct.</li><li>Plato wanted to replace celebrities with "Guardians" who were ideally wise and good people and could be the model for everyone's development.</li></ul>

4. Reform society

<ul><li>Born in Athens in 428 B.C.E, Plato was the world's first true and probably the greatest philosopher. </li><li>He devoted his life to one goal: helping people to reach a state of what he termed: Eudaimonia or fulfillment. </li><li>He wrote 36 dialogues: beautifully crafted scripts of imaginary discussions in which Socrates is always allocated a starring role. </li><li>He had four big ideas for making life more fulfilled. </li></ul>

Plato 

Thinking: the talking of soul with itself

<ul><li>Plato wanted to end democracy in Athens. He observed how few people think properly before they vote and therefor we get very substandard rulers. </li><li>He didn't want to replace democracy with dictatorship; but he wanted to prevent people from voting until they had started to think rationally. That is, until they became philosophers. </li><li>His ultimate goal was that politicians should become philosophers. </li></ul>

The Problem With Democracy 

The world will not be right until kings become philosophers or philosophers kings.

<ul><li>Sometimes we just go along with 'Doxa' or popular opinions. </li><li>Plato showed this common sense to be riddled with errors, prejudice, and superstition. "Fame is great", "Follow your heart", "Money is the key to have a good life". </li><li>Popular opinions edge us towards wrong values, careers, and relationships. </li><li>The key is to know yourself. Subject your ideas to examination rather than acting on your impulse. This kind of examination is called a Socratic discussion.</li><li>If you strengthen your self-knowledge you don't get so pulled around by feelings. </li></ul>

1. Think More 

"Why do we like beautiful things?", Plato asked. <ul><li>We find things beautiful when we unconsciously sense in them the qualities we need but are missing in our lives. Gentleness. Harmony. Peace. Balance. </li><li>Thus, they have a very important function. They help to educate our souls. </li><li>Ugliness does the opposite. It parades dangerous and damaged characteristics in front of us. It makes it harder to attain good values. </li><li>Plato sees art as therapeutic. It is the duty of artists to help us live a good life.</li></ul>

3. Decode the message of beauty

Plato says: "True love is admiration." <ul><li>The person you get together with should have very good qualities that you yourself lack.  </li><li>By getting close to this person, you can become a little like they are. </li><li>The right person for us helps us grow to our full potential. </li><li>In a relationship, a couple shouldn't love exactly as they are right now. They should be committed to educating each other- and enduring the stormy passages this inevitably involves. </li></ul>

2. Let your lover change you

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Plato was one of the world's earliest and possibly greatest philosophers. He matters because of his devotion to making humanity more fulfilled.  For books from The School of Life, visit our online shop:  https://goo.gl/3ZFSG4    


FURTHER READING

“Athens, 2400 years ago. It’s a compact place: around 250,000 people live here. There are fine baths, theatres, temples, shopping arcades and gymnasiums. Art is flourishing, and science too. You can pick up excellent fish down at the harbour in Piraeus. It’s warm for more than half the year....”

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PLATO

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