School of Thought
Platonism
Platonism is the philosophical tradition founded on the ideas of Plato, centered on the theory of Forms — the view that abstract, perfect Forms are the truest reality.
Originating in Plato's Academy, Platonism holds that the physical world is an imperfect reflection of eternal, non-physical Forms, and has profoundly shaped metaphysics, ethics and theology.
Platonism is among the most influential traditions in the history of thought. Rooted in the dialogues of Plato — and dramatized through his teacher Socrates — it argues that beyond the changing physical world lies a realm of perfect, eternal Forms.
This idea echoed through Neoplatonism, Christian theology and Renaissance humanism, making Platonism a foundation stone of Western metaphysics.
Core Ideas
- The Theory of Forms
- The immortality of the soul
- Knowledge as recollection
- The philosopher-ruler
Founders
Key Figures of Platonism
Plato
96Plato was a Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in Athens, wrote the foundational dialogues of Western philosophy, and developed the influential theory of Forms.
Socrates
95Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as a founder of Western philosophy, famous for the Socratic method of questioning and for his trial and execution in Athens.
Augustine of Hippo
92Augustine of Hippo was a Roman North African theologian and philosopher whose works, including Confessions and City of God, shaped Western Christianity and laid intellectual foundations for medieval and modern thought.
Hypatia
84Hypatia was a mathematician, astronomer and Neoplatonist philosopher of late-antique Alexandria, the most prominent woman scholar of the ancient world, whose brutal murder came to symbolize the end of classical learning.
Plato
96Plato was a Greek philosopher who founded the Academy in Athens, wrote the foundational dialogues of Western philosophy, and developed the influential theory of Forms.
Socrates
95Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as a founder of Western philosophy, famous for the Socratic method of questioning and for his trial and execution in Athens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Platonism?
Platonism is the tradition based on Plato's philosophy, especially the theory that perfect, abstract Forms constitute the truest reality, of which the physical world is a copy.