Plato
c. 428–348 BCE · Athens
- First attested
- 348 BCEPlatonic Corpus (Academy, 4th century BCE).
The visible world is a realm of shadows pointing toward higher, unchanging truths.
Founder of the Academy in Athens and student of Socrates. Plato formulated the Theory of Forms (Ideas), postulating that the sensible material world is an imperfect reflection of eternal, intelligible archetypes. Author of foundational philosophical dialogues including The Republic, Symposium, Phaedo, and Timaeus.
Light
Aspirational idealism and recognition of universal transcendent values.
Shadow
Detachment from physical embodiment and denigration of everyday sensory reality.