Explore Quotes by Plato

No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding.

The learning and knowledge that we have,is,at the most,but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.

Then not only an old man, but also a drunkard, becomes a second time a child.

Philosophy begins in wonder.

To be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.

Poets utter great and wise things which they do not themselves understand.

Virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do.

The point which I should first wish to understand is whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the gods.

A state arises,as I conceive,out of the needs of mankind;no one is self-sufficing,but all of us have many wants

My good friend, you are a citizen of Athens, a city which is very great and very famous for its wisdom and power - are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?

Man never legislates,but destinies and accidents,happening in all sorts of ways,legislate in all sorts of ways.

All the gold which is under or upon the earth is not enough to give in exchange for virtue.

Entire ignorance is not so terrible or extreme an evil, and is far from being the greatest of all.

The gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies... they are the trees and the plants and the seeds.

What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.

Wisest is he who knows what he does not know.

And once we have given our community a good start,' I pointed out, ' the process will be cumulative. By maintaining a sound system of education you produce citizens of good character, and citizens of sound character, with the advantage of a good education, produce in turn children better than themselves and better able to produce still better children in their turn, as can be seen with animals.

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

That man is wisest who, like Socrates, realizes that his wisdom is worthless

It is better to be wise, and not to seem so, than to seem wise, and not be so; yet men, for the most part, desire the contrary.

Herein is the evil of ignorance, that he who is neither good nor wise is nevertheless satisfied with himself: he had no desire for that of which he feels no want.