What is Man according to the greek philosopher: Plato?

Question

What is Man according to the greek philosopher: Plato?

Answer 1

Man is a compound of body and soul, of which the soul is the essential and immortal part. See the Phaedo.

"He who has got rid, as far as he can, of eyes and ears and, so to speak, of the whole body, these being in his opinion distracting elements when they associate with the soul hinder her from acquiring truth and knowledge--who, if not he, is likely to attain to the knowledge of true being?" (Phaedo, 65e-66a)

Answer 2

"Drawing a distinct line of demarcation between the Ideal and the actual world, defines the "dualist.

"The Platonic state is ideal, exemplary; it represents man in the abstract ...

"To Plato, there was no natural sense on how men ought to live, education was to be the key to the construction of a better society; from the "educated" would arise the elite to rule society. Plato thought it essential that a strict threefold class division be maintained. In addition to the rulers, the Philosopher-kings, there were to be "Auxiliaries" (soldiers, police and civil servants) and the "Workers" (the rest of us).

"Putting it mildly, Plato's view was that we are ineradicably social, and that the individual person was not, and could not, be self-sufficient. In fact, Plato parcelled up humans like so many animals that could do nothing for themselves unless they had constant and detailed direction from those who were to be their leaders:

"... And even in the smallest manner ... [one] should stand under leadership. For example, he should get up, or move, or wash, or take his meals ... only if he has been told to do so. In a word, he should teach his soul, by long habit, never to dream of acting independently ... There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands." (The Republic.) "

http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biogra...

That is 180degrees from the view of Aristotle, his student. But then, they disagreed about almost everything.

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Answer 3

Man, is the Measure of All Things.

Plato. (in Cratylus)