Plato Quotes

“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency”

“It is fear and terror that make all men brave, except the philosophers. Yet it is illogical to be brave through fear and cowardice.”

“I don't know anything that gives me greater pleasure, or profit either, than talking or listening to philosophy. But when it comes to ordinary conversation, such as the stuff you talk about financiers and the money market, well, I find it pretty tiresome personally, and I feel sorry that my friends should think they're being very busy when they're really doing absolutely nothing. Of course, I know your idea of me: you think I'm just a poor unfortunate, and I shouldn't wonder if your right. But then I dont THINK that you're unfortunate - I know you are.”

“Hence it is from the representation of things spoken by means of posture and gesture that the whole of the art of dance has been elaborated.”

“That a guardian should require another guardian to take care of him is ridiculous indeed.”

“Upon consideration of the central question of the moon's toughness there can be little doubt. It is hella tough.”

“Nothing is more unworthy of a wise man, or ought to trouble him more, than to have allowed more time for trifling, and useless things, than they deserve.”

“As the builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.”

“If one has made a mistake, and fails to correct it, one has made a greater mistake.”

“Neither do the ignorant love wisdom or desire to become wise; for this is the grievous thing about ignorance, that those who are neither good nor beautiful think they are good enough, and do not desire that which they do not think they are lacking.”

“I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times.”

“Renouncing the honors at which the world aims, I desire only to know the truth... and to the maximum of power, I exhort all other men to do the same.”

“Philosophy is the highest music.”

“If you are wise, all men will be your friends and kindred, for you will be useful.”

“The seen is the changing, the unseen is the unchanging.”

“To think truly is noble and to be deceived is base.”

“A library of wisdom, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it. Whoever therefore claims to be zealous of truth, of happiness, of wisdom or knowledge, must become a lover of books.”

“Then may we not fairly plead in reply that our true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth, and is not content with common opinion, but soars with undimmed and unwearied passion till he grasps the essential nature of things with the mental faculty fitted to do so, that is, with the faculty which is akin to reality, and which approaches and unites with it, and begets intelligence and truth as children, and is only released from travail when it has thus reached knowledge and true life and satisfaction?”

“Let nobody speak mischief of anybody.”

“Because, unlike courage and wisdom, which made our state brave and wise by being present in a particular part of it, discipline operates by being diffused throughout the whole of it. It produces a concord between its strongest and weakest and middle elements, whether you define them by the standard of good sense, or of strength, or of numbers or money or the like. And so we are quite justified in regarding discipline as this sort of natural harmony and agreement between higher and lower about which of them is to rule in state and individual.”

“For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher, since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy.”

“Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.”

“When the music changes, the walls of the city shake.”

“But 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.”

“This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.”