Plato

Plato

Greek philosopher.

One of the most influential philosophers in history, he founded the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. His dialogues, featuring his mentor Socrates, explore profound questions about justice, virtue, the soul, and the nature of reality. He proposed the theory of ideal forms, influencing philosophical thought on metaphysics, ethics, and political theory for millennia.

Plato Quotes about Light

  • The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
  • God is truth and light his shadow.
  • Integrity is your destiny - it is the light that guides your way.
  • We understand why children are afraid of darkness ... but why are men afraid of light?
  • The souls of people, on their way to Earth-life, pass through a room full of lights; each takes a taper - often only a spark - to guide it in the dim country of this world. But some souls, by rare fortune, are detained longer - have time to grasp a handful of tapers, which they weave into a torch. These are the torch-bearers of humanity - its poets, seers and saints, who lead and lift the race out of darkness, toward the light. They are the law-givers and saviors, the light-bringers, way-showers and truth-tellers, and without them, humanity would lose its way in the dark.
  • Someday, in the distant future, our grandchildren's grandchildren will develop a new equivalent of our classrooms. They will spend many hours in front of boxes with fires glowing within. May they have the wisdom to know the difference between light and knowledge.