Quotes from Plato

Nothing will injure me, not Meletus nor yet Anytus—they cannot, for a bad man is not permitted to injure a better than himself.

But a man whose actions do not agree with his words is an annoyance to me; and the better he speaks the more I hate him, and then I seem to be a hater of discourse.

it seemed to me that this man seemed to be wise, both to many other human beings and most of all to himself, but that he was not. And then I tried to show him that he supposed he was wise, but was not. So from this I became hateful both to him and to many of those present Plato,Apology

Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says;

No debemos necesariamente convenir en que el carácter y las costumbres de un Estado se encuentran en cada uno de los individuos que lo componene, puesto que sólo por medio de ellos han podido pasar al Estado?

While I, just as I do not know, do not even suppose that I do. I am likely to be a little bit wiser than he in this very thing: that whatever I do not know, I do not even suppose I know.

I was hoping that you would instruct me in the nature of piety and impiety; and then I might have cleared myself of Meletus and his indictment. I would have told him that I had been enlightened by Euthyphro, and had given up rash innovations and speculations, in which I indulged only through ignorance, and that now I am about to lead a better life.

La virtud con sus dones diversos nace de la inspiración de una naturaleza honesta, que por su propio esfuerzo abraza a la vez la esencia y todos los modos, debido al sentimiento innato del bien, que la precede y que la crea. Esta ciencia verdaderamente anterior y superior a la virtud, ninguno puede enseñarla, porque cada uno debe sacarla de sí mismo; nace con nosotros.

The union of body and soul,you see,can never be superior to their separation.

All these were lovers and emulators and disciples of the culture of the Lacedaemonians, and any one may perceive that their wisdom was of this character; consisting of short memorable sentences, which they severally uttered. And they met together and dedicated in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, as the first-fruits of their wisdom, the far-famed inscriptions, which are in all men's mouths—'Know thyself,' and 'Nothing too much.

SOCRATES: And you would admit once more, my good sir, that great power is a benefit to a man if his actions turn out to his advantage, and that this is the meaning of great power; and if not, then his power is an evil and is no power. But let us look at the matter in another way:—do we not acknowledge that the things of which we were speaking, the infliction of death, and exile, and the deprivation of property are sometimes a good and sometimes not a good?

SOCRATES: What events? POLUS: You see, I presume, that Archelaus the son of Perdiccas is now the ruler of Macedonia? SOCRATES: At any rate I hear that he is. POLUS: And do you think that he is happy or miserable? SOCRATES: I cannot say, Polus, for I have never had any acquaintance with him.

it is for the elder man to rule and for the younger to submit

POLUS: What! and does all happiness consist in this? SOCRATES: Yes, indeed, Polus, that is my doctrine; the men and women who are gentle and good are also happy, as I maintain, and the unjust and evil are miserable.

I should not be surprised that Euripides' lines are true when he says: 'But who knows whether being alive is being dead And being dead is being alive?

I think it's too much to call to call him wise, Phaedrus: only the gods deserve that label. But it would suit him better and be more appropriate to call him a lover of wisdom, or something like that.

But now it is time for us to leave: for me, to go to my death, and for you to go on living. Whether it's you or I who are going to a better thing is clear to no one but the god.

En efecto, lo que es santo, siendo amable en sí, amado por sí, no tiene ninguna relación con lo que es amado, y que sólo es amable en tanto que es amado. Lo primero subsiste

What I do not know, I don't think I do.

Knowledge is prior to any particular knowledge, and exists not in the previous state of the individual, but of the race. It is potential, not actual, and can only be appropriated by strenuous exertion.

SOCRATES: On the other hand, if the unjust be not punished, then, according to you, he will be happy? POLUS: Yes. SOCRATES: But in my opinion, Polus, the unjust or doer of unjust actions is miserable in any case,—more miserable, however, if he be not punished and does not meet with retribution, and less miserable if he be punished and meets with retribution at the hands of gods and men. POLUS: You are maintaining a strange doctrine, Socrates.

There are two things which should be cultivated in the soul: first, the greatest courage; secondly, the greatest fear.

For the rhapsode ought to interpret the mind of the poet to his hearers, but how can he interpret him well unless he knows what he means?

No sooner have you achieved literacy and all other resources that cities require, then there again, after the usual numbers of years, comes the heavenly flood. It sweeps upon you like a plague and leaves only your illiterate and uncultured people behind. You become infants all over again, as it were, completely unfamiliar with anything there was in ancient times, whether here or in your own region.