|
Related Links in the GSR:
Related Links in the Library:
Plato (428 - ca. 347 B.C.) was the second of the great trio of philosophers
of ancient Greece that includes Socrates and Aristotle. His work was deeply
influential on the later development of Western philosophy, informing the thought
of such men as Philo of Larissa, Saint Augustine, and Kant. Plato was born into
a distinguished Athenian family and originally intended to enter political life.
However, the death of his teacher, Socrates, in 399 B.C. at the hands of the
Athenian people, led him to conclude that good men had no place in the public
eye. Consequently, he chose to pursue philosophy, soon distinguished himself
as a formidable thinker in his own right, and founded an academy for philosophy
in Athens. He is best known for his works on moral philosophy, epistemology,
and politics. Socrates appears in Plato's philosophical dialogues as the main
character defending Plato's positions, and it is through Plato's dialogues that
we have an account of Socrates' final days.
In the wake of the Sophists who argued that values are relative and private
interests are the paramount guide to conduct, Platonic philosophy advanced the
idea that there are universal principles of right and wrong. Values are not
situational but absolute, and it is the goal of philosophy to discover them.
Following this system, Plato saw ideal government in the form of a philosopher-monarch
who (having discovered these absolutes) would use his wisdom for the common
good.
Plato's importance to Pierre Goodrich is evidenced by the fact that his personal
library contains three complete versions of The Dialogues, each with extensive
marginal notations in Goodrich's own hand.
Bibliography
Works by the Author
Plato. The Dialogues of Plato. 5 vols. Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1875.
Plato. The Dialogues of Plato. 2 vols. Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
New York, Random House, 1937.
Plato. The Republic. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. New York: Heritage
Press, 1957.
Plato. The Republic of Plato. New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1942.
Plato. Euthyphro, Apology and Crito, and Death Scene from Phaedo. Translated
by F. J. Church. New York: Liberal Arts Press, 1948.
Plato. Meno. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. New York: Liberal Arts Press,
1949.
Plato. Phaedo. Translated by F. J. Church. New York: Liberal Arts Press,
1951.
Plato. Symposium. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. New York: Liberal Arts
Press, 1948.
Plato. Theaetetus. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. New York: Liberal
Arts Press, 1948.
Plato. Timaeus. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. New York: Liberal Arts
Press, 1949.
Plato. The Dialogues of Plato. 4 vols. Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
Oxford: Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1953.
Plato. Gorgias. Translated by W. C. Helmbold. New York: Liberal Arts
Press, 1952.
Plato. Plato's Theory of Knowledge: The Theaetetus and Sophist of Plato.
Translated by Francis M. Cornford. New York: Liberal Arts Press, 1957.
Source
The biographical material about the author originally appeared on The
Goodrich Room: Interactive Tour website.
|
Resources 
