428–348 BC · ancient philosophy, metaphysics, political theory, epistemology
Plato (c. 428–348 BC) was a foundational figure in Western philosophy, a student of Socrates, and the teacher of Aristotle, who established the Academy in Athens. His extensive writings, primarily in the form of dialogues, systematically explore metaphysics through his Theory of Forms, political theory in the ideal state, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics, profoundly shaping subsequent intellectual thought.