Intro
Plato was one of the earliest ancient Greek philosophers and is undoubtedly one of the most influential thinkers in the canon of Western philosophy. His teacher was none other than Socrates, another legendary figure in this tradition. However, unlike Socrates, who never wrote anything down, Plato wrote dozens of texts, including the Republic, The Symposium, and The Apology.
Plato was a utopian thinker; he spent a lot of his time wondering and writing about how society could be reformed. At the same time, he tended to be more than a tad cynical about the ability of the masses to govern themselves, as in a democracy (which Athens was at the time). Plato also differed from current scientific thought in his embrace of rationalism over empiricism, believing that reason is the only way to apprehend the truths of the universe.
Still, Plato’s goal was, in essence, to help people see through their own biases and flawed assumptions—things that are just as pervasive today as they were in Ancient Greece. Although he lived more than two thousand years ago, his work reflects an understanding of many cognitive biases and heuristics that have been coined by modern-day behavioral scientists.1
I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.
– Plato, Republic2
