Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher born around 428/427 BCE in Athens and died in 348/347 BCE. He was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, making him a central figure in the history of Western philosophy
. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, which is considered one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in Europe and remained influential for about 900 years
. He is best known for his theory of forms (or ideas), which posits that non- material abstract forms, such as Justice, Beauty, and Equality, are the most real and fundamental entities, accessible only through the mind rather than the senses
. His philosophical works cover a wide range of topics including ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics
. Plato's writings often feature Socrates as a central character and use dialogue and dialectic methods to explore philosophical questions
. His influence extends through the development of Western philosophy, shaping both ancient and later philosophical traditions, including Neoplatonism and Christian and Islamic philosophy
. In summary, Plato was a foundational thinker whose ideas about knowledge, reality, and ethics have had a profound and lasting impact on philosophy and Western intellectual history
